Goolkasian, P., Van Wallendael, L. R., & Terry, W. S. (1991). Recognition memory for easy and difficult text. The Journal of General Psychology, 118(4), 375-393.

Goolkasian, P.; Van Wallendael, L.; Terry, W.

1991

Goolkasian, P., Van Wallendael, L. R., & Terry, W. S. (1991). Recognition memory for easy and difficult text. The Journal of General Psychology, 118(4), 375-393.

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Recognition memory for easy & difficult text was examined through the use of a recognition memory paradigm in three experiments. In experiment 1, Ss (N = 103 university students) were asked to read passages from a booklet containing driving regulations & IRS instructions. After five minutes the booklets were collected & Ss completed recognition tests in one of two conditions: immediately following the reading or after a one-hour delay. Results supported the hypothesis that difficulty of reading material is related to memory for that information. Experiment 2 (N = 22 faculty members) replicated experiment 1, using only the delayed condition. Results were consistent with experiment 1. In experiment 3, material was drawn from two psychology textbooks rated differently for difficulty. Ss (N = 141 students) read the material & after five minutes took recognition tests. Results indicated that the difficulty of text influenced the depth of processing. Overall results demonstrated a difference in recognition of item types as a function of stimulus materials. Recognition rates for less difficult passages provided more evidence of verbatim or surface memory than do the rates for more difficult passages.

The results of these experiments consistently demonstrate that recognition memory for sentences from simpler text sources differs from memory for sentences from more difficult texts. Recognition scores for the easier passages suggest more evidence of verbatim or surface memory than the rates in response to the IRS and difficult psychology text do. Difficult text is more deeply processed than easy text, and the deep structure, rather than the surface structure, is retained.

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