title: The Facilitative Effects of Imagery Instructions and Stimulus Characteristics on Immediate and Long Term Free Recall and Clustering.
abstract: The effects of imagery on immediate and long term recall and organization (i.e., clustering) were studied with regard to high and low imagery concrete stimulus nouns from the same generic categories, imagery and no imagery instructions, number of recall trials, and two presentation rates. Three major aspects were involved: (a) establishment of imagery norms for 80 categorically related nouns, (b) behavioral analysis of these norms, and (c) a verbal free recall experiment conducted with 960 sixth and eighth grade boys and girls to compare the verbal and imaginal symbolic processes. Recall and organization were found to be facilitated by imagery nouns or instructions. Eighth graders not only recalled and organized better than sixth graders, but also used imagery more effectively. Four written trials were better than one, and a five second presentation rate was better than 2.5 seconds. These trends held in immediate and long term recall. Results were discussed in terms of the code availability hypothesis of Paivio's two-process theory. It was concluded that imagery is an important factor in free recall and organization and functions analogously to verbal processes.
authors.affiliation: a Teachers College, Columbia University , USA.
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lupiani