Levels of processing versus transfer appropriate processing

Levels of processing were manipulated as a function of acquisition task and type of recognition test in three experiments to show that semantic acquisition was superior to rhyme acquisition given a standard recognition test, whereas rhyming acquisition was inferior to semantic acquisition givenA rhyming recognition test.

Abstract

Levels of processing were manipulated as a function of acquisition task and type of recognition test in three experiments. Experiment 1 showed that semantic acquisition was superior to rhyme acquisition given a standard recognition test, whereas rhyme acquisition was superior to semantic acquisition given a rhyming recognition test. The former finding supports, while the latter finding contradicts, the levels of processing claim that depth of processing leads to stronger memory traces. Experiment 2 replicated these findings using both immediate and delayed recognition tests. Experiment 3 indicated that these effects were not dependent upon the number of times a rhyme sound was presented during acquisition. Results are interpreted in terms of an alternate framework involving transfer appropriate processing.