Influence of Prior Paired-Associate Learning on False Recognition

Abstract

Three experiments were reported which investigated transfer from paired-associate (PA) learning to a recognition task (RL). Exp. I demonstrated that learning a PA list of A-B associates increased recognition errors to B words in RL (B words occurred a single time late in RL and A words occurred early in RL). It was argued that the appearance of the A words elicited the B associates implicitly, and this led to increased difficulty in identifying B words as first occurrences. An attempt to decrease RL errors to B words by interpolating unlearning activities between the A-B list and RL were unsuccessful (Exp. II). Exp. III demonstrated that the major portion of the increased errors to B words following PA learning was due to general PA-RL confusion and that specific A-B elicitations during RL added only slightly to this general confusion.