The processing of affectively-toned words in incidental learning: A test of differential acquisition and response bias hypotheses

Abstract

Differential acquisition of stimulus information and differential response biases have been considered as hypotheses for the processing of affective stimuli in perceptual tasks. The present experiment was designed to assess the value of these hypotheses in the context of recall following incidental learning. During the first two phases of the experiment, 70 undergraduates were led to believe that the investigation was concerned with their efficiency at letter-cancelling. In the first phase, the Ss copied out out a mixed list of good and bad words, twice, as quickly as possible, and then began work on a letter- cancelling task. In the second phase, each S participated in one of five further word- copying conditions, once again completed as quickly as possible and followed by more letter-cancelling. These conditions served to create different degrees of acquisition for the good and bad words or to create suitable controls. Using a new method of analysing recall data, differences between the mean strenghts of the good and bad words were estimated on a logistic scale. Analysis of this data yielded no evidence to support either of the initial hypotheses. Similarities and discrepancies between the present findings and the existing literature are discussed. It is suggested that an advantage in recall for good as against bad words may only emerge ehen Ss allocate additional processing to good words, either through choice or as a consequence of task demands.