Abstract
A total of 80 college students in four classes rated a series of English words as high or low in linguistic frequency. Words high or low in linguistic frequency were presented 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 times, singly or in mixed pairs. The students were then given a previously unannounced event-frequency test. The results implicated two major determinants of event-frequency judgments: (1) an item-strength factor and (2) multiple memory traces. Words high in linguistic frequency were given consistently higher event-frequency estimates, especially when they had been presented singly. Words low in linguistic frequency were more accurately judged for event frequency when they had been paired rather than singly presented; this result suggests the role of multiple memory traces because of the greater number of such traces with unique contextual cues available for retrieval at test in the paired condition. The results are compared with those earlier obtained with the same experimental materials and general procedure but a different cover task. Interpretation in terms of a dual-factor hypothesis for event-frequency judgment is discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Duncan, C. P. (1974). Retrieval of low-frequency words from mixed lists. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 4, 137–138.
Hintzman, D. L. (1976). Repetition and memory. In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 10, pp. 47–93). New York: Academic Press.
Marx, M. H. (1985). Retrospective reports on frequency judgments. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 23, 309–310.
Marx, M. H. (1986a). Event-frequency judgments as a function of the linguistic frequency and single or paired presentation of target words: I. Task with unique multiple traces. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 24, 245–247.
Marx, M. H. (1986b). More retrospective reports on event-frequency judgments: Shift from multiple traces to strength factor with age. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 24, 183–185.
May, R. B., Cuddy, L. J., & Norton, J. N. (1979). Temporal contrast and the word frequency effect. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 33, 141–147.
May, R. B., & Tryk, H. E. (1970). Word sequence, word frequency, and free recall. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 24, 299–304.
Rao, K. V. (1983). Word frequency effect in situational frequency estimation. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 9, 73–81.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The data were collected while the author was supported by a Research Career Award from the National Institute of Mental Health. Thanks are due to Miriam Mueller and Gale Fuller of Westminster College at Fulton, MO for making available their introductory psychology classes.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marx, M.H. Event-frequency judgments as a function of the linguistic frequency and single or paired presentation of target words: II Task requiring judgment of linguistic frequency. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 24, 361–364 (1986). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330152
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330152