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The word frequency effect for recognition memory and the elevated-attention hypothesis.

Kenneth J Malmberg1, Thomas O Nelson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. malmberg@indiana.edu

Memory & Cognition
|April 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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Low-frequency words gain a recognition advantage because they capture more attention. This effect, however, is limited to the early stages of memory encoding, as confirmed by empirical tests.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology

Background:

  • The elevated-attention hypothesis suggests low-frequency (LF) words are better recognized than high-frequency (HF) words due to increased attention.
  • This hypothesis predicts that higher attentional strain during study should diminish the LF word recognition advantage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically test the elevated-attention hypothesis regarding word recognition.
  • To investigate the role of attentional strain and encoding phases in the LF word advantage.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments manipulated study time to alter attentional resources.
  • A subsequent experiment orthogonally varied study time and word pair composition.
  • Recognition accuracy for LF and HF words was measured under different conditions.

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Main Results:

  • The elevated-attention hypothesis was supported, but only under conditions of short study durations.
  • Findings indicated that attentional resources are preferentially allocated to LF words during the early phase of encoding.
  • The late phase of encoding did not show differential attention allocation between LF and HF words.

Conclusions:

  • The study supports an early-phase elevated-attention hypothesis.
  • Attentional benefits for LF words in recognition are primarily driven by resource allocation during initial encoding stages.
  • Recognition memory for word frequency is modulated by the timing of attentional resource allocation during learning.