MEMORY FOR FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR WORDS - EVIDENCE FOR A LONG-TERM-MEMORY CONTRIBUTION TO SHORT-TERM-MEMORY SPAN

Two experiments are described which demonstrate a long-term memory contribution to memory span. In the first experiment nonwords were used because they lack a long-term memory representation. Memory span was lower for nonwords than words and in both cases a linear function related recall to speech rate for items of differing spoken durations. The function for nonwords had an equivalent slope (interpreted as reflecting a contribution from a subvocal rehearsal process) but a lower intercept (interpreted as reflecting a contribution from a long-term memory component). The second experiment compared the spans for Italian and English words. The span was lower for Italian words than for English words, due to a depression in the intercept of the recall-speech rate function, but learning the English translations of these words increased subjects' memory span for them. © 1991.