Phonological similarity in working memory.
That phonologically similar words in a short-term memory test are more difficult to recall than phonologically dissimilar words is a well-known phenomenon. This effect is the phonological similarity decrement. In the present study, we examined whether this phonological similarity decrement is present when additional semantic information is available, as in a reading span test, as compared with a standard presentation, or in the context of an operation span test. The results revealed a phonological similarity facilitation. Phonologically similar words were remembered better than phonologically dissimilar words.
Copeland
D E
DE
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA. copeland.9@nd.edu
Radvansky
G A
GA
D001288:Attention; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning; D010700:Phonetics; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D011932:Reading; D014706:Verbal Learning