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Related Experiment Videos

Abolishing the word-length effect.

Charles Hulme1, Aimée M Suprenant, Tamra J Bireta

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom. ch1@york.ac.uk

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|January 23, 2004
PubMed
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The word-length effect in memory recall is abolished in mixed lists, where both long and short words are remembered equally well. This challenges existing memory models and suggests new explanations based on item complexity and distinctiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • The word-length effect describes how word length influences memory recall.
  • Current models explain this effect through item-based or list-based factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the word-length effect in memory recall.
  • To compare recall performance for long and short words in pure and mixed lists.
  • To challenge existing theoretical explanations of the word-length effect.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted comparing word recall.
  • Stimuli included pure lists (only long or short words) and mixed lists (both long and short words).
  • Recall accuracy for long and short words was measured in each list type.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • In pure lists, long words were recalled significantly worse than short words.
  • In mixed lists, the word-length effect disappeared; long and short words were recalled equally well.
  • Recall performance in mixed lists matched that of short words in pure lists.

Conclusions:

  • Findings contradict current item-based and rehearsal-speed models of the word-length effect.
  • A novel explanation is proposed, emphasizing item complexity and item distinctiveness.
  • The context of word lists (pure vs. mixed) significantly modulates the word-length effect in memory.