Effects of meaningfulness on child free-recall learning.

Investigated the effects of experience (age) and stimulus meaningfulness on free-recall learning. In Study 1, meaningfulness values, assessed via the production method, were obtained on 40 trigrams for 120 kindergarten, second- and 6th-grade children. Employing these norms in a subsequent free-recall learning study (Study 2), it was found that trials to criterion and grade level were positively related when meaningfulness was free to vary in the same list stimuli. However, trials-to-criterion differences were equivalent across grade levels when meaningfulness was held constant. Implications for child learning research and theory are discussed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hypnotic time distortion and learning: Another look.

Conducted 2 studies employing different methodologies with a total of 75 undergraduates to test the hypothesis that hypnotic time distortion facilitates verbal learning. All of the Ss in Exp I and most of those in Exp II were given a modified version of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale-Form C. All Exp II Ss were also given the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. Analysis of previous research indicated that hypnotic susceptibility and the form of the time-distortion suggestions might be important moderator variables in the relationship. The separate and combined effects of these variables were observed in both studies. No combination of hypnotic susceptibility and time-distortion suggestions in either study raised performance level beyond that of the waking- and/or hypnotic-control conditions. Responses to a postexperimental questionnaire in Exp II indicated that high-susceptible Ss reported subjectively convincing changes in experienced time flow following time-distortion suggestions. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal-discrimination learning following a free-recall familiarization training procedure.

Investigated the effects of transfer from a modified free-recall task to verbal-discrimination (VD) learning. The free-recall procedure was designed to impact increments in experimental frequency to specific words that appeared in VD. 4 experimental groups, with 30 undergraduates in each, were given prior free-recall exposure to either all right VD items (A-R), all wrong (A-W), both the right and wrong items from same VD pairs (B-S), or both the right and wrong items from different VD pairs (B-D). A 5th group of 30 Ss served as a control and learned a free-recall list which did not contain any VD items (C). In terms of number of correct responses during VD learning, the groups were ordered as follows: A-R, C, A-W, B-S, and B-D. Results are interpreted as being consistent with derivations from the frequency theory of VD learning. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Noun imagery and frequency in paired-associate and free-recall learning.

Investigates the effects of rated imagery (I) and Thorndike-Lorge frequency (F) of nouns in paired-associate (PA) and free-recall (FR) learning. In the PA task, I and F were factorially varied on the stimulus and response sides of 16-pair mixed lists. Ss (77 male high school graduates) had 4 PA study and recall trials with each of 2 such lists. In agreement with previous findings, I was strongly related to learning, more so on the stimulus than on the response side of pairs. Weaker effects of F were positive on the response side but negative on the stimulus side under certain combinations of stimulus and response I revealed by interaction effects. The FR task involved factorial variation of I and F in 32-item lists. 52 undergraduates were presented 10 trials with 2 such lists. Recall was consistently better for high-I than for low-I nouns. Frequency had a consistent positive effect when the nouns were high in I, but its effect was negative on early trials when the nouns were abstract. I and F therefore were clearly differentiated empirically in both tasks. Findings are discussed in terms of such factors as stimulus-evoked mediating imagery and response availability. (French summary) (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Encoding context and the generating effect in multitrial free-recall learning.

In a conventional word-list experiment a word is more likely to be recalled if it is generated, rather than merely read, by the S. An experiment with 40 19–40 yr olds is described that extends previous studies by showing that, in free-recall learning, the generation effect was no different when the words were studied in a phonemic or in a semantic encoding context, although the semantic context facilitated learning. (French abstract) (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Time distortion and hypnotic ability: Underestimating the duration of hypnosis.

In a replication of previous research, 3 different samples of Ss (109 Ss) underestimated the length of time they were hypnotized. However, as in a previous investigation, there was no significant relation between Ss' hypnotizability and the amount of temporal foreshortening of the hypnotic interval. A small subset of Ss (13–23%) in each of 3 separate samples overestimated instead of underestimated the length of time they had been hypnotized. When this small group of overestimators is set aside, the correlations between hypnotic ability and temporal estimates become significant for each of the 3 (sub)samples of underestimators—ranging from –.41 to –.53. It is demonstrated that these correlations could not be accounted for by R. F. Ornstein's (1969) storage-size hypothesis, but were probably due to Ss of varying hypnotizability becoming differentially absorbed in the hypnotic proceedings. This understanding is consistent with work in time perception showing that imaginative absorption leads to a foreshortening of time. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pseudomemory effects over time in the hypnotic setting.

Highly (n?=?36), moderately (n?=?26), and low (n?=?48) susceptible Ss were administered either hypnosis or waking instruction to examine the hypothesis that pseudomemory will occur for hypnotic Ss as long as 2 wks after suggestions are given for accepting false events. Accuracy and confidence of memory were measured for all Ss, and memory was examined for free recall, structured recall, and recognition. Results indicated persistence of pseudomemory for the 2-wk period for both highly and moderately susceptible Ss. Data highlighted the multifaceted operation of skill, contextual, and state instruction factors, and a hypothesis that ambiguity of communication when suggestion is delivered plays a part in the maintenance of pseudomemory over time is offered for further testing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional versus absorptive processing in hypnotic time estimation.

Tested the absorption hypothesis of hypnotic time estimation by giving instructions designed to induce either an absorptive or an attentional listening set to 40 Ss. All Ss listened to an involving short story embedded in an administration of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale—Form C and provided retrospective estimates of the story's duration. Ss in the attention condition, but not those in the absorption condition, significantly underestimated the duration. However, instructional set did not influence Ss' ratings of absorption in the story. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of experience and subjects' use of directions upon learning from prose.

Investigated the effects of 4 objective treatments (none, before text, after text, and combined before and after text) and 2 types of experience (practical and experimental) for intentional and incidental learning. A 1st analysis showed (a) greater overall performance with, rather than without, experience, (b) greater intentional than incidental learning, and (c) an Objective * Learning interaction. The primary finding of a 2nd analysis was that 2 types of experience (practical and experimental) did not differentially affect learning with the 4 objective treatments. The main finding of a 3rd analysis was that the inclusion of additional test items to measure incidental learning did not differentially affect learning with the 4 objective treatments. The 4th analysis showed that the 4 objective treatments consumed varying amounts of inspection time when the Ss were inexperienced, but not when they were experienced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of class membership, method of presentation, and restricted association strength on free-recall learning.

Composed free-recall lists of subordinate, superordinate, coordinate, contrasting, or unrelated pairs of words and presented them in random or block order for 8 presentation-recall periods. Ss were 310 undergraduates. Category clustering was greater for each related list relative to the unrelated list and for the subordinate and coordinate lists relative to the other related lists. Recall was superior for the subordinate list relative to the superordinate or unrelated list, and no other interlist differences in recall were obtained. All performance measures were superior with block, compared to random, presentation. The normative strength of conceptual relations was not an influential factor within the range studied. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's verbal rehearsal in a free-recall task.

Predicted that, while the use of categories in rehearsal would increase with age, organized rehearsal would be related to recall accuracy and recall organization for all ages tested. Data from 20 3rd and 20 6th graders confirm the predictions but are inconclusive for 20 kindergartners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Local time horizons in Pavlovian learning.

Responding to a CS is impaired if the CS is trained in the presence of excitatory local context cues. Four lick suppression experiments with rats explored whether this local context effect arises from the influence of excitatory cues that precede or that follow a reinforced target CS. Pretrained nontarget stimuli served as local context cues that occurred (1) immediately before and after the target CS trial, (2) immediately before or after the target CS trial, or (3) only before or after the target CS trial with varying intervals between the nontarget stimulus and target CS. Results indicated similar control over responding to the target CS by the preceding and following nontarget cues. This outcome implies a symmetrical window of memory integration (local time horizon) for a Pavlovian CS. Possible mechanisms underlying the detrimental effect of embedding a CS in an excitatory local context are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of subliminal symbiotic activation on hypnotic rapport and susceptibility.

Divided 72 male undergraduates into 2 groups matched for susceptibility (high, medium, low) as measured by the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale—Form A. Experimental Ss received symbiotic ("Mommy and I are one") subliminal stimulation via tachistoscope in a double-blind design. The comparison group received a psychodynamically neutral stimulus ("People are walking"). Following subliminal stimulation, Ss were hypnotized individually. Projective tasks that indexed rapport with the hypnotist and the mother were administered during hypnosis. Rapport was also measured by rated intimacy of self-disclosure topics and by valence of topics selected to disclose to the hypnotist. MANOVA showed that symbiotic fantasies had an impact on measures assumed to be relevant to affective, relationship factors in hypnosis. Ss in the "Mommy" group selected more positively valenced topics to disclose to the hypnotist. However, no interaction between hypnotic susceptibility level and symbiotic activation was found, suggesting that susceptibility does not mediate the rapport. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increasing hypnotic susceptibility.

Investigated the effectiveness of an operant conditioning approach for increasing the hypnotic susceptibility of 30 university students. Results reveal significant increases in hypnotic susceptibility, significant generalization to a new set of more difficult items, and no substantial decrease in the stability of improvement. Attitudinal, motivational, and learning factors are considered in relation to the observed changes in hypnotic susceptibility. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Types of hypnotic dreams and their relation to hypnotic depth.

Several types of experiences in response to suggestions to have a dream are described, namely: (1) simply thinking about something; (2) daydreaming; (3) vivid hallucinations, like watching a film; and (4) feeling "bodily located in" a "dream world." In 2 experiments, only a minority of Ss rated their experiences as dreamlike, even when hypnotized. Significant positive relationships were found between the extent to which the experiences were rated as vivid and dreamlike, and 2 measures of hypnotic depth. The variable of whether or not Ss had gone through a hypnotic-induction procedure did not discriminate among types of response. These results illustrate the danger of pseudo-operational definitions of hypnosis that ignore Ss' subjective responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Uncancelled hypnotic suggestions: The effects of hypnotic depth and hypnotic skill on their posthypnotic persistence.

Conducted 2 experiments to evaluate the degree to which hypnotic depth and hypnotic skill influence the posthypnotic persistence of an uncancelled suggestion. Each experiment employed 24 college students (8 high susceptible, 8 medium susceptible, and 8 low susceptible, based on Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A, scores). The induction of hypnosis in Exp I was by videotape; in Exp II, an almost identical induction was conducted individually by the experimenter. In both experiments, an arm analgesia item was left uncancelled. Over the 2 experiments, analgesia persisted posthypnotically for 20% of the highly susceptible Ss. These Ss differed from the highly susceptible Ss not manifesting the phenomenon in having significantly better hypnotic analgesia and greater hypnotic depth. Results suggest that posthypnotic persistence of an uncancelled suggestion was confined to a minority of highly hypnotizable Ss. Persistence appears to have affinities with other low-incidence hypnotic phenomena to which only the top 2–3% of Ss in the range of hypnotic susceptibility respond. The majority of highly susceptible Ss either cancelled an uncancelled suggestion themselves, or else the suggestion faded with time. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus preexposure and discrimination learning by domestic chicks: Effect of varying interstimulus time.

Conducted a series of experiments with a total of 199 Ross strain chicks in which groups of Ss were preexposed to moving objects on Days 1-5 after hatching. Only 1 object was visible at a time, and the time between the appearance of one stimulus and the immediately succeeding appearance of the other was called the "interonset time." Ss which had been preexposed to both discriminanda in rapid alternation (interonset time of 1/4 min) learned a subsequent discrimination task more slowly than Ss familiar with neither stimulus; Ss preexposed to both discriminanda at separate times (interonset time of 30 min) learned the discrimination faster than Ss familiar with neither stimulus. The evidence suggests that the proportions of slow-learning and fast-learning Ss in a group were changed by varying interonset time. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correlates of hypnotic susceptibility.

An attempt was made to relate hypnotic susceptibility to the following: an inventory of subjective nonhypnotic personal experiences, attitudes and opinions toward and interest in hypnosis, environmental and social perceptions, 5 Guilford-Martin personality scales, and measures of response styles. The Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility was administered to 80 male and 97 female college students who had previously taken the questionnaires. The results and conclusions were generally negative. Judging from the present results and those in previous studies, hypnotic susceptibility is not closely related to available personality inventories or measures of "social and environmental perceptions" and probably not to measures of subjective nonhypnotic personal experiences. An S's previous hypnotic experience, attitude toward hypnosis, and expectations regarding his own hypnotizability do appear to influence his susceptibility. (40 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)