REACTION TIME AS AN INDEX OF REHEARSAL IN SHORT-TERM MEMORY

Used a short-term memory task in which the materials were visually presented trigram triads, either easy (E-Pr) or difficult (D-Pr) to pronounce. A pretesting procedure equated the performance of all Ss at a 0-sec retention interval. Ss were 112 right-handed undergraduates. Experimental groups received trials consisting of the presentation of the triad, a rehearsal period of 7 sec., and a recall signal, sounded at either 1, 2, 4, or 6 sec. after the offset of the triad. Control conditions involved only the RT task. Results support the existence of a rehearsal process in which rehearsal load decreases over time following presentation of the materials and is lower for E-Pr than for D-Pr materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.