Naming latency facilitation: An analysis of the encoding component in recognition reaction time.

Abstract

Tested S. Sternberg's (see PA, Vol. 41:5364 and 44:11748) analyses of recognition RT (RRT) which assume that encoding and memory scanning represent independent stages of information processing. The stimulus conditions used in the RRT varied-set studies were replicated, but the 8 adult Ss were required to name the probe as rapidly as possible regardless of list membership. Naming latency facilitation (the advantage found for "old" items over "new" items) increased as set size decreased both for letters and for words. This relationship held for the visual list-visual probe and auditory list-visual probe modality combinations and at the 1 and 2 item/sec rates. It is concluded that the encoding stage (as distinct from the memory comparison stage) is affected by set size and that the slope of the function relating set size and RRT is therefore influenced, or possibly determined, by encoding factors. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)