Interference and the persistence of articulatory responses

An experimental test of the effect of phonological interference on short-term recall was conducted using non-English phonological sequences which were easily pronounceable. Subjects were normal speaking and normal hearing third-grade English speaking children. Experimental subjects produced the phonologically inadmissible [3a], [u'mI], [vepsilon], and control subjects produced the phonologically allowable [d3a], [u'mî], [veI]. Following a retention interval of 30 sec, one free recall trial was administered. Experimental subjects correctly recalled significantly less often than control subjects, suggesting that phonological rules can effect a decrement in short-term recall for phonetic units which are easy to pronounce.