Effects of perceptual modality on verbatim and gist memory. Academic Article

abstract

• In two experiments, predictions of the fuzzy-trace theory of memory were tested. Perceptual information may play a role in retrieval and recognition processes for verbatim, but not for gist, memory. Perceptual modality effects were assessed in the present study by presenting three-sentence stories (e.g., The bird is in the cage. The cage is over the table. The bird is yellow) and then testing recognition of probes that varied on three dimensions: (1) semantic accuracy (true vs. false), (2) wording (all original words vs. one novel word included), and (3) sentence type (premise vs. inference). In Experiment 1, study modality (auditory vs. visual) was manipulated, and in Experiment 2, both study and test modalities were manipulated. Despite replicating a number of findings consistent with fuzzy-trace theory (e.g., instruction and probe type effects), the results of both experiments failed to support the idea that perceptual information plays a role in performance on verbatim memory tests.

authors

• Smith, Steven

published proceedings

• Psychon Bull Rev

author list (cited authors)

• Gerkens, D. R., & Smith, S. M.

citation count

• 10

complete list of authors

• Gerkens, David R||Smith, Steven M

publication date

• February 2004

publisher

• Springer Nature  Publisher

published in

• Psychonomic Bulletin and Review  Journal

keywords

• Auditory Perception
• Female
• Fixation, Ocular
• Humans
• Male
• Memory
• Recognition, Psychology
• Semantics
• Visual Perception
• Vocabulary

PubMed Central ID

• 15117000

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.3758/bf03206474

start page

• 143

end page

• 149

volume

• 11

issue

• 1

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/bf03206474