The Effect of Semantic Cuing on CVLT Performance in Healthy Participants

Abstract

The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) is a widely used measure of verbal learning and memory; however, there is little empirical evidence about the effects of the administration procedure on the test results. The primary goal of this study was to examine the effect of the semantic cuing condition on subsequent free recall of the material. A secondary goal was to assess whether prior knowledge that the words on the list are drawn from four semantic categories would enhance recall. Participants were 154 young healthy adults. The results suggested that participants who received semantic cuing according to the standardized test instructions generated the same number of correct words on the delayed free recall of the list as did those who did not receive cuing. Cuing did, however, lead participants to use greater semantic clustering in their delayed recall of the list. Participants who were provided with information prior to learning about the semantic structure of the test did not show enhanced learning relative to those who did not receive this information. We conclude that semantic cuing on the CVLT does not substantially enhance delayed recall of the material in healthy participants, although it is quite possible that cuing would have a greater effect in patients who have poor semantic organizational skills.