Schwanenflugel, P. J., Akin, C., & Luh, W. (1992). Context availability and the recall of abstract and concrete words. Memory & Cognition, 20(1), 96-104.

Schwanenflugel, P.; Akin, C.; Luh, W.

1992

Schwanenflugel, P. J., Akin, C., & Luh, W. (1992). Context availability and the recall of abstract and concrete words. Memory & Cognition, 20(1), 96-104.

3

This study tested the predictions of an automatic-imagery, strategic-imagery (SI), and context-availability (CTA) hypothesis of concreteness effects in free recall in 3 experiments with 256 undergraduates. Recall of abstract and concrete words controlled for rated CTA was compared with the typical situation in which CTA is confounded with imageability. In Exp 1, a directed intentional-recall task produced concreteness effects in recall. Exp 2 compared concreteness effects in recall following 3 orienting tasks: imagery rating, CTA rating, and a directed intentional-memory task. Concreteness effects in the CTA-controlled condition were found following the imagery-rating and the directed intentional-memory tasks. In Exp 3, Ss reported the strategies used to encode the list. Ss reporting showed concreteness effects for words controlled for rated CTA. An SI view of concreteness effects in free recall is supported.

In sum, the results of experiment 3 followed the predictions of the strategic-imagery hypothesis. When subjects reported that they had used imagery, significant benefits of concreteness were displayed both when items were controlled on rated context availability and when they were not. However, when an imagery strategy was not reported, concreteness effects appeared in the context availability—confounded condition only. For these subjects, recall patterns seemed to follow context availability ratings. In fact, subjects reporting that they had used a context availability strategy specifically had mean recall scores nearly identical to the no imagery group at large. Thus, it is possible that subjects not reporting imagery were using readily available information from prior knowledge to encode the words.

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