Gail A. Bruder

Role of visual familiarity in the word-superiority effects obtained with the simultaneous-matching task.

Three experiments assessed the effect of visual familiarity of words on same-different reaction times (RTs) in a simultaneous-matching task. Visual familiarity was disrupted by using upper- and lowercase letters within sequences. The results for same judgments in Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that visual familiarity was responsible for most of the large word-superiority effect obtained. The third experiment investigated the extent to which the effects obtained with word-frequency and orthographic-regularity manipulations were due to visual familiarity. For same RTs the results indicated both types of familiarity effects were dependent on visual familiarity. With pure-case stimuli, high-frequency words were processed faster than low-frequency words. Low-frequency words and orthographically regular nonwords produced similar reaction times, and both were processed faster than unpronounceable nonwords. These effects were not evident with mixed-case stimuli. All three studies showed visual familiarity to be responsible for differences in slope over sequence length between words and nonwords. Results with different judgments were dissimilar enough from the pattern of results for same judgments to present problems of interpretation, and it was suggested that additional or alternative processes were involved. The implications of these data for models of word processing were discussed.

Comparisons of individual and cultural response hierarchies based on continued association

Individual response protocols of eight associations to each of eight stimulus words (Buffalo sample) were compared with cultural response hierarchies (Pittsburgh sample). The number of individual responses which matched responses in the top eight hierarchy positions (HPs) of the norms was related to the rank of those responses in the norms. Cultural hierarchies, derived in different ways, were similar and did not differ in degree of individual-cultural response agreement. It was concluded that prediction of individual responses, but not their HPs, is possible on the basis of the top ranking responses from norms.

Differences in free and serial recall of categorized lists

Two experiments investigated whether differences in clustering and amount of recall produced by free and serial recall of categorized lists reflected differences in how items were stored or how they were retrieved. An experimental condition with serial recall instructions before and free recall instructions after list presentation (and storage) was compared with standard serial and free recall conditions. The results showed that different instructions influenced how the items were retrieved and reported but not how many items were stored.