EFFECT OF A RECOGNITION TEST ON A SUBSEQUENT CUED-RECALL TEST

Exp I (192 undergraduates) evaluated 3 challenges to the theoretical significance of the finding that unrecognized words can sometimes be recalled. Unrecognized words were still recalled when list discrimination problems were eliminated and when Ss adopted very lenient criteria. Unrecognized words were also recalled more frequently than could be accounted for by variability in recognition. There was, however, evidence for substantial sequential testing effects (priming effects) at least with some materials and/or conditions. Exp II (160 undergraduates) attempted to determine the materials and/or conditions that produce large priming effects. It is concluded that the primary variable was recognition. When recognition is poor, priming effects tend to be small, and when recognition is good, priming effects tend to be large. The relevance of these findings to the encoding-specificity principle and to A. J. Flexser and E. Tulving's model is discussed. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.