MEASUREMENT OF MEMORY BY PROMPTED RECALL

320 undergraduates served as Ss in this method of measurement. Results are related to a 2-factor theory in which storage and retrieval processes of retention show losses at different rates and for different reasons. In this method, when S fails to give a response in a paired-associate (PA) free recall test, he is given a prompting word to aid recall. The prompter, which has a predetermined probability of evoking the correct response if no prior training is given, evokes the response with a higher probability for Ss who have been previously trained on the PA list. These incremental probabilities are a function of the time interval following training and the effectiveness of the prompter used. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.