Contextual constraint: a Danish language replication of Miller‐Selfridge with methodological improvements

Abstract

Previous studies in the English language have demonstrated the relevance of context and redundancy in assessing the impairment of information processing functions in psychopathology. In the present investigation, Danish language texts, varying in their degree of contextual constraint, were presented orally to 32 normal subjects, following the procedure of Miller & Selfridge (1950). Zero‐order texts were created with and without matching for word frequencies, a control that was not employed by Miller & Selfridge. Immediate recall was measured and analysed as a function of degree of contextual constraint. Context effects upon accuracy of recall were obtained. The results essentially replicated the findings of Miller & Selfridge, and those of similar studies in other languages. Word frequency affected accuracy of recall at the zero‐order point. The potential value of these texts as research tools in psychopathology is discussed.