Two-component theory of the suffix effect: contrary evidence

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Auditory Memory
• Speech Perception

Background:

• The suffix effect selectively impairs recall of the final items in a spoken list when followed by an irrelevant speech item (suffix).
• It is traditionally divided into a structural effect on the terminal item and a conceptual effect on preterminal items.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether the terminal suffix effect is also susceptible to conceptual influence.
• To challenge the traditional dichotomy of bottom-up (structural) and top-down (conceptual) effects in the suffix effect.
• To propose an alternative framework for understanding the suffix effect based on perceptual grouping.

Main Methods:

• Eight experiments were conducted to examine the suffix effect.
• Participants listened to spoken lists followed by irrelevant speech suffixes.
• Recall performance for list items was analyzed under various experimental conditions.

Main Results:

• Both the terminal suffix effect and the preterminal suffix effect were found to be susceptible to conceptual influence.
• Evidence suggests that conceptual factors play a significant role in the impairment of recall for the final list items.
• The traditional distinction between structural and conceptual components of the suffix effect was challenged.

Conclusions:

• The suffix effect, including its impact on the terminal item, is not solely a structural phenomenon.
• Conceptual influences significantly modulate the entire suffix effect.
• The suffix effect is better understood as a consequence of perceptual grouping processes.