Associative strength and degree of competition in verbal paired-associate learning

Abstract

The present study dealt with paired-associate learning in elementary school age children as a function of associative strength and degree of competition. Two conditions were compared, each involving S-R pairs mediated by weak as well as strong associative strengths. The pairs mediated by strong associative strengths were identical in both conditions. In Condition I the S-R pairs mediated by weak associative strengths were constructed so as to maximize generalization of their response items to the stimulus items for the strongly associated S-R pairs. Performance on these latter S-R pairs in Condition I was found to be significantly poorer in comparison to identical S-R items in Condition II which minimized the presence of competing associations.