Sensory-Modality Scale for Pronounceability of Trigrams and its Relation to Free-Recall Learning

Abstract

Force of handgrip on a hand dynamometer was varied by 25 Ss to match the strength of their opinion regarding the difficulty of pronouncing each of 18 trigrams. Median settings of force correlated highly with the Underwood and Schulz pronounceability values. 30 new Ss were given 12 trials to learn the trigrams via the method of free recall. The sensory-modality pronounceability values, which constitute a ratio scale, and the Underwood and Schulz ratings, which constitute a category scale, were both negatively correlated with recall performance. The magnitudes of the correlations were similar for both types of pronounceability scales.