Memory and Memory Monitoring: Levels of Processing, Idea Unit Level, and Text Organization in the Retention of Prose

Abstract

Memory and memory monitoring processes were compared by introducing an idea unit ranking task to prose text adapted to depth of processing and text organization variables. Depth of processing was operationalized through fluency, concreteness, and category-relatedness instructions. Text organization was manipulated through matched-to-task, scrambled, and narrative sentence orderings. Proportion recalled (memory) and proportion estimated recall (memory monitoring) for each idea unit level comprised the primary dependent measures. Depth of processing and idea unit level were successfully extended to prose memory and were reflected in memory monitoring. Narrative organizations produced greater recall than either the matched or scrambled organizations. Organization, however, was not a salient factor in memory monitoring. Recalling passages provided additional information which increased the accuracy of monitoring estimations. Memory monitoring (estimation) patterns in general echoed those of memory (recall).