The capacity for sequential evocation and the influence of frequency of word use

Abstract

In a free recall task it was demonstrated systematically that the evocation of a short list of unrelated words, individually presented, was in the majority of cases in conformity with the presentation order. This spontaneous recall in presentation order is called the capacity for sequential evocation (CSE). The CSE has a mode of four word units, though individual variation in its range does exist. In the present study it was shown that the introduction of frequently used words into a list (two in either initial, middle, or final positions) leads to most increase in recall in presentation order when they are placed in the initial positions. To create a situation of uncertainty with respect to strategies for information intake, lists of four words were mixed with lists of six and eight words with or without frequent words. Results confirm a theoretical perspective stipulating that the decay in the activation of response schemas (phonological and articulatory) will have the least adverse effect on recall performance when the level of activation is greatest (in proportion to the frequency of word use).