Talker variability effects on spoken word recall: Encoding or rehearsal?

Abstract

The effects of talker variability were examined for spoken word recall. In this study, a serial word recall paradigm was used, with talker variability manipulated using single‐ and multiple‐talker lists and with presentation rate varied using fast and slow conditions. In addition, memory rehearsal processes were examined via a continuous distractor task. Under no‐distractor conditions, the results showed that primacy recall performance was better for single‐talker lists compared to multiple‐talker lists. Under distractor conditions, when presentation rate was fast, this difference remained. However, when presentation rate was slow, there was little difference in recall for single‐talker versus multiple‐talker lists. These results will be discussed in terms of the roles of rehearsal and encoding processes in the transfer of voice information to episodic memory for spoken words. [Work supported by NIH Grant No. DCO1667‐03.]