The role of horizontal categorization in retroactive and proactive interference.

Full Abstract

Four paired-associate experiments with a total N of 291 participants investigated the effects of horizontal categorization on retroactive and proactive interference. (Exclusively) horizontal categorization means that unique categorical relationships hold across the A-B and A-C stimulus-response pairs of successive word lists (e.g., fruit--pear, river--Thames, in list 1; and fruit--plum, river--Wolga, in list 2). Experiment 1 found no significant amounts of interference with this type of list organization. However, strong interference arose with the same materials when the categorical structure was destroyed in Experiment 2. A third experiment contrasted two alternative explanations for these results, and Experiment 4 replicated the effect of horizontal categorization (vs. no categorical relationship) in a within-participants design. The results of the four experiments largely fit with a response competition explanation proposed by Bower, Thompson-Schill, and Tulving (1994), adapted to the within-participants designs used here. Overall, the present findings add to a body of evidence demonstrating limits to retroactive and proactive interference.

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Author information

Author/s: Blank, Hartmut (H);

Affiliation: Institut für Allgemeine Psychologie Universität Leipzig Seeburgstr. 14-20, D-04103 Leipzig Germany. blank@rz.uni-leipzig.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Experimental psychology (Exp Psychol), published in Germany. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-; vol 49 (issue 3) : pp 196-207

Dates: Created 2002/08/02; Completed 2002/10/16; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12152363, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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