Recall hypermnesia in children and adults after long retention intervals (approximately 3 months) for varied stimulus materials.
Item
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Title
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Recall hypermnesia in children and adults after long retention intervals (approximately 3 months) for varied stimulus materials.
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Identifier
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AAI9986325
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identifier
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9986325
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Creator
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Feigin-Pfau, Merryl Beth.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Arthur S. Reber
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Cognitive | Psychology, Developmental | Psychology, Experimental
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Abstract
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The research reported here determines whether hypermnesia can be obtained after a lengthy retention interval for varied stimuli. In the first two experiments, children and adult participants were asked to learn one of three narratives in a single laboratory session (The War of the Ghosts = WAR; The Game of the Ghosts = GAME; The Stone in the Road = STONE). After a lengthy delay (of approximately 3 months) recall for the narratives was assessed. Adult participants demonstrated hypermnesia for all three narratives (WAR, GAME and STONE). Children, however, demonstrated hypermnesia for only two of the narratives (WAR and GAME) and failed to demonstrate an increase for the STONE narrative.;False alarms (incorrect recalls) invariably increase with trials. Since the question of potential response biases or criterion shifts arise in repeated testing situations a Criterion Controlled Free Recall (CCFR) post-recall technique was utilized in an attempt to control for such occurrences (Erdelyi, 1996). The criterion controlled free recall technique (CCFR) is explained in detail. Hypermnesia trial recall protocols are then re-evaluated using this CCFR procedure.;With false alarms (incorrect recalls) held to a particular level for each participant hit production levels are reevaluated. Adults continued to demonstrate hypermnesia in all three story conditions. Children maintained their hypermnesia performance in the WAR and GAME story conditions, and recall remained flat across trials in the STONE story condition.;The third experiment in this series asks adult participant to learn a mixed list of pictures and words. A forced-recall paradigm was used to control for response productivity. Although pictures are remembered better than words after the delay, only words yielded a hypermnesic function while pictures failed to do so.;Hypermnesia can be obtained after a lengthy delay for narrative prose and for individually presented words. The results of this series of work are discussed with respect to previous investigations and an eye towards future directions to be explored.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy Restricted.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.