Redintegration and the benefits of long-term knowledge in verbal short-term memory: An evaluation of Schweickert’s (1993) multinomial processing tree model

• Published in: Cognitive psychology Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 133 - 158
• Main Authors: Thorn, Annabel S.C., Gathercole, Susan E., Frankish, Clive R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.03.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Bilingualism; Biological and medical sciences; England; English; Familiarity; French; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Knowledge; Learning. Memory; Linguistic Theories; Long-term knowledge; Memory; Memory, Short-Term; Mental Recall; Models, Psychological; Monolingualism; Multilingualism; Nonsense Words; Phonemes; Phonotactics; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Recall; Redintegration; Serial Learning; Short Term Memory; Tree Structures; Verbal Behavior; Word Frequency; Working memory; England; Long-term knowledge; Working memory; Redintegration; Short-term memory; Short term; Human; Word frequency; Cognition; Experimental study; Knowledge; Long term; English; Verbal memory; French; Language; Bilingualism; Serial recall
• ISSN: 0010-0285; 1095-5623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2004.07.001

The impact of four long-term knowledge variables on serial recall accuracy was investigated. Serial recall was tested for high and low frequency words and high and low phonotactic frequency nonwords in 2 groups: monolingual English speakers and French–English bilinguals. For both groups the recall advantage for words over nonwords reflected more fully correct recalls with fewer recall attempts that consisted of fragments of the target memory items (one or two of the three target phonemes recalled correctly); completely incorrect recalls were equivalent for the 2 list types. However, word frequency (for both groups), nonword phonotactic frequency (for the monolingual group), and language familiarity all influenced the proportions of completely incorrect recalls that were made. These results are not consistent with the view that long-term knowledge influences on immediate recall accuracy can be exclusively attributed to a redintegration process of the type specified in Schweickert’s (1993) multinomial processing tree model of immediate recall. The finding of a differential influence on completely incorrect recalls of these four long-term knowledge variables suggests instead that the beneficial effects of long-term knowledge on short-term recall accuracy are mediated by more than one mechanism.