Memory for frequency of occurrence: Intelligence level and retrieval cues

Abstract

The purposes were (a) to assess the effects of the nature of the retrieval cue on frequency processing, (b) to determine the effects of type of stimulus on frequency processing, and (c) to test the Hasher and Zacks (1979, 1984) intelligence invariance criterion for automaticity. Mentally retarded and nonretarded persons judged frequency of occurrence of words and photographs under oral and visual retrieval cue conditions. They saw a study list of one type of stimulus presented on 35-mm slides at a 5-s rate under incidental instructions. Immediately following the study phase, they estimated frequencies (0, 1, 3, 5) under either a visual (original stimulus) retrieval cue or an oral retrieval cue condition. There were no differences between the groups on frequency estimates. There was a stimulus effect with both groups giving more accurate estimates for pictorial stimuli. The oral retrieval cue resulted in less accurate frequency estimates for the nonretarded in the word condition and for the retarded in the picture condition, but these were small effects. Results were discussed in terms of the Hasher and Zacks position on automaticity as well as the Greene (1986) and Begg, Maxwell, Mitterer, and Harris (1986) positions on the nature of frequency processing.