Visual Imagery and Familiarity Ratings for 203 Sayings

Two attributes on which words have been widely scaled are imagery value and familiarity. One reason much memory research has used single words rather than more complex verbal material may be the ready availability of such scaled normative material. The purpose of this study was to provide a list of sentences that have been scaled on visual imagery and familiarity to facilitate the extension of memory research to more complex material. In this study, 203 sayings (e.g., Haste makes waste) were rated on 7-point scales for visual imagery (VI) by 51 students and for familiarity (F) by 50 students. The sayings are listed, with their individual means and standard deviations for VI and F. Also reported are the overall mean and standard deviation for VI and F, the correlation between VI and F, reliability data, and comparisons with studies that have scaled single words for VI and F. These ratings should help researchers extend verbal-learning and memory research beyond single words.

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