Individual differences in dream recall.

Ss who typically fail to remember dreams at home (nonreporters) and Ss who frequently remember dreams (reporters) slept in the laboratory for 4 nights each. Gradual or abrupt awakenings were made at each EEG Stage-I REM (dream) period. Although nonreporters and reporters did not differ in REM-period frequency or EEG patterns during sleep, nonreporters did report dreaming less frequently following REM-period awakenings. Ss showed self-consistency in frequency of dream reporting and in type of failure to report. Some nonreporters typically failed to remember any content; others typically said they were awake and thinking. Comparisons among reporters and sub-groups of nonreporters for eye-movement frequency, arousal threshold, and dreamlike-report content indicate that it may be useful to distinguish different kinds of nonreporters. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of word frequency on recency effects in directed free recall.

Leading theoretical explanations of recency effects are designed to explain the reported absence of a word frequency effect on recall of words from recency serial positions. The present study used a directed free-recall procedure (J. I. Dalezman, 1976) and manipulated the frequency composition of the word lists (pure and mixed). Overall, with pure lists, a greater proportion of high-frequency (HF) words were recalled than low-frequency (LF) words, and with mixed lists, a greater proportion of LF words were recalled than HF words. Of importance, this recall advantage for one frequency over the other as a function of list composition was evident across the last three serial positions, indicating an influence of word frequency on recency effects that is dependent on the frequency composition of the lists. These results challenge one of the major assumptions on which several theories of recency effects have been based. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of stimulus frequency on subsequent recall of backward associates.

Previous research has shown that increased Thorndike-Lorge frequency (F) of stimulus-terms leads to poorer paired-associate learning (PAL), while increased F-level of response-terms facilitates PAL. Therefore, if a word pair is learned in the order A-B, then later tested in reverse (B-A), there are two possibilities. (1) Error level could be the same on the reverse test, implying that performance on the A-B learning trials determined the strength of the B-A association. (2) Error level on the reverse test could revert to what it would have been if the B-A pair had been learned originally. In the present study the experimental group learned A-B word pairs and was tested on corresponding B-A versions. Results showed that, for the experimental group, the relationship between errors and F-level of the A-terms shifted dramatically between the last A-B trial and B-A test trial. On the B-A test trial, this group performed in a manner comparable to that of a control group trained on B-A throughout. Thus, for pairs which differed in F-level of their stimulus-terms, relative performance during the A-B learning trials was not a crucial factor in later B-A performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using overt rehearsals to explain word frequency effects in free recall.

Three experiments examined the word frequency effect in free recall using the overt rehearsal methodology. Experiment 1 showed that lists of exclusively high-frequency (HF) words were better recalled, were rehearsed more, and were rehearsed to more recent serial positions than low-frequency (LF) words. A small HF advantage remained even when these 2 variables were equated. Experiment 2 showed that all these effect, were much reduced with mixed lists containing both HF and LF words. Experiment 3 compared pure and mixed lists in a within-subject design and confirmed the findings of Experiments 1 and 2. It is argued that number of rehearsals, recency of rehearsals, and strength of interitem association cause the word frequency effect in free recall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The recall of dreams: Its relation to repression and cognitive control.

"The present study investigated the relationship between the recall of dreams and the cognitive controls continuum of leveling-sharpening… . The results confirmed the hypothesis that subjects who recall many dreams, i.e., who do not rely primarily upon repression, would show the sharpening tendency… a relationship between low dream recall and the leveling tendency, was not supported… [suggesting] that the psychoanalytic concept of repression can be associated with the theory of cognitive controls." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anticipated audiences as determinants of recall.

"… the recall of arguments from a two-sided group of arguments is significantly greater after one week for those arguments which agree with the supposed position of an audience with which the subject expects to have to discuss the topic." From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:1GG82S. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patterns of dreaming recall: An EEG study.

11 recallers and 11 nonrecallers of dreams were compared with respect to several characteristics of their rapid eye movement (REM) periods during sleep. Continuous recordings of REMs and EEGs were obtained for 2 consecutive nights of uninterrupted sleep for each S. The records were scored to yield measures of total dream time (TDT) and rate of eye movements during REM periods. Recallers had significantly higher TDT than nonrecallers. However, contrary to prediction, nonrecallers had a significantly higher rate of REMs during dreaming than recallers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural analysis of dreams: Clues to perceptual style.

"… persons who show differences in the perceptual attitude of flexibility-rigidity as estimated from the Rorschach test also differ predictably along this dimension in the perceptual response pattern of their dreams… . Results confirmed the experimental hypothesis." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stimulus context effects, associative strength, and word frequency as determiners of free recall in paired-associate learning.

Two levels of response word frequency and three levels of associative strength of paired-associates were used to form six lists. One level of low associative strength between pairs to be learned was created by re-pairing stimuli and responses from high associative strength lists. Both the high associative strength condition and the re-paired condition produced superior recall of response items. Results suggested that the development of response availability in paired-associate learning depends in part not only upon the strength of the initial relationship between each stimulus and response pair to be learned, but also upon the context provided by other stimuli in the list. The meaning of "present at input" in studies evaluating the principle of encoding specificity (Tulving & Thompson, 1973) was questioned. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors in the serial recall of names of acquaintances.

2 experiments in recall were conducted to determine the effects of pleasure, frequency, recency, acquaintance, and construction variables, and to compare the effect of the pleasure variable with that of height in order to rule out extraneous ranking habits. In the first experiment 137 Ss were given a first name and asked to recall 8 living acquaintances who had this name. Then they were asked to rank the recalled names as to: (1) how well they liked each person; (2) how frequently they have had contact; (3) how recently; and (4) how well they know him. They were also asked to put the names into 3 groups so that each group was alike and at the same time different from the other groups. Rankings in the first 4 tasks were highly correlated with the order in which the names were recalled. On the grouping task, order of recall fell short of a significant relationship with the construct groupings. 24 Ss were used in the second experiment. The pleasure-order of recall correlation was significantly greater than 0, but the height-order of recall was not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The hypnotic dream: Methodological problems and a review of the literature.

Investigations of the hypnotic dream have been confounded by a variety of unrecognized methodological problems, such as inadequate specification of demand characteristics, trance depth, and nature of the E-S relationship. Failure to recognize that Ss have a variety of experiences in response to dream suggestions has further obscured the literature. The literature on hypnotic dreams is reviewed. (84 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential learning and forgetting as a function of the social frame of reference.

"The present study was aimed at demonstrating how learning and recall become selective because of the relevant frames of reference… . Brahmins and Karana… were required to learn and recall… favorable and… unfavorable familiar stereotypes concerning themselves." Effectiveness of learning was seen to be dependent upon whether the stereotypes were identified with a caste different from one's own and whether they reflected favorable or unfavorable attitudes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of "dreamers" and "nondreamers": Eye movements, electroencephalograms, and the recall of dreams.

Research had established that rapid eye movement during sleep was correlated with dreaming, and both to light sleep as defined by EEG reactivity. In an attempt to cross validate these findings, Ss were selected as to whether they generally recalled dreaming. Ss slept in a laboratory setting wherein electro-oculograms and EEG's were taken during the period of sleep. Ss were awakened when the characteristic eye movement suggesting dreaming was observed, and during periods of quiescence. Recall of dream activity during both was solicited. Results suggest that "dreamers" manifest more ocular movement and reports of dreaming during periods of eye movement than "nondreamers." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sublexical or lexical effects on serial recall of nonwords?

S. E. Gathercole, C. R. Frankish, S. J. Pickering, and S. Peaker (1999) reported 2 experiments in which they manipulated phonotactic properties of nonword stimuli and observed the effects on serial recall. Their results show superior recall for items consisting of more frequent phoneme pairs (biphone frequency). Biphone frequency was counted as the number of 3 phoneme words in which the phoneme pair occurs. In the first experiment of the current article, the authors made the same manipulation while controlling for the number of lexical neighbors and found no effect of biphone frequency. In the second experiment, the authors manipulated neighborhood size while controlling biphone frequency and found a significant effect of neighborhood size. The authors argued that serial recall of nonwords is influenced by lexical rather than sublexical knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comprehension as a basis for metacognitive judgments: Effects of effort after meaning on recall and metacognition.

We examined free recall and metacognitive judgments of ambiguous sentences studied with and without clues to facilitate their comprehension. Sentences were either studied without clues, with clues meaningfully embedded, or with clues following a 10-s interval delay. After presentation, subjects made judgments of comprehension (JCOMPs) or judgments of learning (JOLs). Puzzling over the meaning of sentences for several seconds prior to receiving the clue enhanced recall compared with studying sentences without clues or with embedded clues. This benefit of effort after meaning was not reflected in JCOMPs or JOLs. Rather, sentences considered relatively easy to understand received higher JOLs regardless of experimental condition. Although effort after meaning enhanced recall, subjects displayed no awareness of this benefit in their judgments. Our study adds to a growing literature showing students’ ignorance of factors affecting their own learning, which have important implications for education. Making learning conditions more difficult, thus requiring students to engage more cognitive effort, often leads to enhanced retention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-esteem and need achievement as determinants of selective recall and repetition.

"This study investigates the relationship between self-esteem and the recall and repetition of success and failure experiences… . groups… were selected on the basis of their self-evaluative responses and an evaluation of their self-esteem behaviors. The combinations of these two variables, at their extremes, yielded significantly different patterns on such variables as achievement, ideal self, and sociometric status, and apparently represent distinct types of self-esteem… . two factors [appear]… necessary for the recall and repetition of failure… . the ability to tolerate failure and the motivation and striving to overcome its effects." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leader assumed dissimilarity as a measure of prejudicial cognitive style.

In a series of studies Fiedler concluded that leaders who maintain a greater psychological distance between themselves and the group members are more effective in promoting group productivity. Statistical and sampling shortcomings of these studies led to the present study involving 43 infantry teams in training. The leaders of high teams as compared to low teams (as rated by their commanding officers) evaluated a least and most preferred co-worker on a series of dyadic adjectival scales. leaders of high rated teams evaluated the low reference person higher (p     

Psychological defenses and "ego strength" in the recall of completed and incompleted tasks.

"The results of this study indicate: (a) ego strength is directly related to the tendency to recall relatively more incompleted than completed tasks when the situation is not objectively self-esteem threatening, and inversely related to this tendency when the situation does objectively threaten self-esteem." Scores on the hysteria and psychasthenia scales of the MMPI are discussed in relation to the recall of completed and incompleted tasks and the self-esteem threatening or non-threatening character of the situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The developmental origins of cognitive vulnerability to depression: Temperament, parenting, and negative life events in childhood as contributors to negative cognitive style.

Cognitive models of depression have been well supported with adults, but the developmental origins of cognitive vulnerability are not well understood. The authors hypothesized that temperament, parenting, and negative life events in childhood would contribute to the development of cognitive style, with withdrawal negativity and negative parental feedback moderating the effects of negative life events to predict more depressogenic cognitive styles. These constructs were assessed in 289 children and their parents followed longitudinally from infancy to 5th grade; a subsample (n = 120) also participated in a behavioral task in which maternal feedback to child failure was observed. Results indicated that greater withdrawal negativity in interaction with negative life events was associated with more negative cognitive styles. Self-reported maternal anger expression and observed negative maternal feedback to child's failure significantly interacted with child's negative events to predict greater cognitive vulnerability. There was little evidence of paternal parenting predicting child negative cognitive style. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)