Mental models and the fan effect.
Explanations of data from fan effect experiments have been based on propositional network models. This article presents findings not readily predicted by such models. In particular, in three experiments we found that, during a speeded-recognition test, subjects retrieved facts about several objects associated with a single location faster than facts about several locations associated with a single object. Indeed, there was no fan effect in the former case despite the fact that there were an equivalent number of associations among concepts in both conditions. We suggest that such data are consistent with a mental model representational account.
Radvansky
G A
GA
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824-1117.
Zacks
R T
RT
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014888:Wechsler Scales