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Sentence encoding and implicitly activated memories

Memory & Cognition volume 20, pages 643–654 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

Some words have fewer direct associates than others, and, when words varying in set size are studied in a list-learning task, those with smaller sets are more likely to be recalled. This setsize effect is found in cued recall when the words are studied in the absence of related words, but not when studied in the presence of related words. Related words provide context and theoretically inhibit irrelevant associates. The present research determined that set-size effects are found when words are encoded in sentence contexts. In contrast to list-learning experiments, the results of three experiments found such effects even when lexically related words were present in the sentences. Other findings indicated that target-set-size effects were determined by the proximity of related words in the sentence and the nature of the test cue. The results are discussed in relation to a model for explaining set-size effects and to selective findings from the sentence-comprehension literature.

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Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 33620, Tampa, FL

    Douglas L. Nelson, Nancy R. Gee & Thomas A. Schreiber

Authors
  1. Douglas L. Nelson
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  2. Nancy R. Gee
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  3. Thomas A. Schreiber
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Additional information

This research was supported by Grant MH 16360 from the National Institute of Mental Health to the first author.

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Nelson, D.L., Gee, N.R. & Schreiber, T.A. Sentence encoding and implicitly activated memories. Mem Cogn 20, 643–654 (1992). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202714

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202714

Keywords

  • Implicit Memory
  • Related Word
  • Sentential Context
  • Context Word
  • Sentence Experiment