Controlled rehearsal and recall order in serial list retention

The amount of rehearsal in 10 number sequences was manipulated by requiring 8 undergraduates to recall all previously presented numbers as each new number was introduced. The recall order was forward (F), backward (B), free recall (FR), or natural serial (NS), and the type of presentation involved either overt cumulative rehearsal or no overt rehearsal. Type of presentation, recall order, and number of trials all yielded significant effects, but no interactions were significant. Rehearsal generally enhanced performance, but only in B recall was the shape of the serial position curve changed. In the F condition, the later the introduction of an item, the faster the rate of loss of retention. Forgetting in the F and B conditions was more rapid than in the FR and NS conditions. (15 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).