RETROACTIVE INHIBITION WITH DIFFERENT PATTERNS OF INTERPOLATED LISTS

RETROACTIVE INHIBITION (RI) HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN FOUND TO DEPEND ON THE NUMBER OF NEW RESPONSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL STIMULI WHEN THE NUMBER OF INTERPOLATED LEARNING (IL) TRIALS IS CONSTANT. THE NUMBER OF INTERPOLATED RESPONSES WAS HELD CONSTANT AND VARIATIONS IN IL DOMINANCE WERE ACHIEVED BY ALTERNATING IL LISTS AT DIFFERENT FREQUENCIES. RI DECREASED AS THE NUMBER OF IL ALTERNATIONS INCREASED. THESE DATA INDICATE THAT THERE ARE SITUATIONS IN WHICH RI DOES NOT INCREASE WHEN THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UNREINFORCED ELICITATION OF LIST-1 RESPONSES INCREASES AND THAT, INDEPENDENT OF ITS EFFECT ON THE DOMINANCE OF INTERPOLATED ASSOCIATIONS, THE NUMBER OF IL LISTS MAY INFLUENCE RI. SS WERE 120 PAID COLLEGE STUDENTS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.