Unit-sequence interference in short-term memory

An investigation of unit-sequence interference in short-term memory was performed using high- and low-frequency English words. The retention tests were at 2, 5, 15 and 30 sec, and the performance measures were latency of response, S's confidence in his response, and the frequency of correct responses. The latter measure was evaluated by a modified statistical technique for computing linear and quadratic regression coefficients. The experimental results confirmed the presence of proactive interference from linguistic sources, in support of the unit-sequence hypothesis, as well as from repeated measurements performed in the laboratory. A major conclusion, consistent with all measurements taken, was that meaningfulness may favor original learning but not retention in short-term memory when unit-sequence interference is being considered.

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