title: Memory for frequency of bizarre and common stimuli: limitations of the automaticity hypothesis.
abstract: In 2 experiments, the influence of intention to process frequency on accuracy of memory for frequency of bizarre and common sentences was investigated. The results from multiple regression analyses indicated that intentional processing increased the accuracy of frequency judgments when memory for frequency was tested after a 2-min (Experiment 1) and after a 48-hr (Experiment 2) retention interval. Furthermore, the results of Experiment 2 indicated that unintentional processors tended to overestimate frequencies of bizarre relative to common items after a delay. The implications of the results are discussed with regard to L. Hasher and R. T. Zacks's (1984) automaticity hypothesis, human performance, and the accuracy of judgments of frequency of occurrence of unusual events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond 70402, USA. jworthen@selu.edu
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Worthen
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hutchens
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Nicodemus
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007600:Judgment; D011939:Mental Recall; D008922:Mississippi; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis