title: Short-term memory digit-span performance under auditory and visual contexts as a function of rate of digit presentation.
abstract: This exploratory investigation concerned the effects of both auditory and visual context variations on the immediate recall of a series of digits presented on a computer screen (CRT). 5 intensities of background noise and 5 background hues were presented randomly to 110 undergraduate volunteers as they studied 25 numerals ranging from 1 to 5 at rates of change of either 1 or 3 sec. per numeral timed from the onset of the previous numeral. A 2 x 2 x 5 mixed split-plot factorial analysis of variance gave a significant difference in mean immediate-recall scores between rates of digit presentation with better recall associated with the 3-sec. rate. There was no significant main effect in recall scores for auditory vs color contexts, yet a post hoc analysis of variance for successive stages followed by Scheffé comparisons showed that across auditory intensities, Stages 3 and 4 and 5 (combined) had significantly higher immediate recall scores than Stages 1 and 2 (combined). This improvement across stages was not found under the visual (color) series. There was a three-way interaction for modality-contexts x rates x levels explained by the partitioning of stages which differed for auditory and for visual contexts. Results are discussed in terms of effects of modality.
authors.affiliation: University of South Alabama.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Vitulli
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McNeil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011930:Reaction Time; D012691:Serial Learning; D013067:Speech Perception; D014796:Visual Perception