The color isolation effect in free recall by adults with Down syndrome

The free recall of an isolated picture by 40 institutionalized adults with Down syndrome was investigated. Subjects were matched on the basis of IQ, CA, and length of institutionalization and divided into two groups. They were shown 10 pictures of common objects with (experimental) or without (control) the 6th picture printed in vivid color. Oral free recall immediately followed. The serial position curve of the control group lacked both the primacy and recency effects. Although overall recall performance remained unaffected, the experimental group recalled the isolated picture more frequently than did the control group. Results suggested that better memory of the isolate resulted from selective attention-encoding, which was induced by isolation. There appears to be a similarity between the adults with Down syndrome and nonretarded individuals in learning an isolated item.