Date of Award
1972
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Supervisor
Betty Ann Levy
Language
English
Abstract
Two explanations for the low-frequency superiority effect in recognition memory are described and a third, distractor-type hypothesis is developed. The distractor-type hypothesis proposes that Ss have a preference for abstracting semantic features from high-frequency words and acoustic features from low-frequency words. It suggests that low-frequency superiority is a result of semantic interference with high-frequency words combined with a lack of acoustic interference with low-frequency wods. The results of three experiments which support this hypothesis are required. Experiments I and II showed that more acoustic than semantic-type errors are made with low-frequency words and more semantic than acoustic-type errors are made with high-frequency words in the recognition memory paradigm. Experiments III of this series examined the relationship of the distractor type and distractor frequency variables.
Recommended Citation
Muzzin, Linda, "The Low Frequency Superiority Effect in Recognition Memory" (1972). Open Access Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4641.
http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/4641
McMaster University Library