Priming effects in the recognition of simple and complex words and pseudowords / Efectos de anticipación en el reconocimiento de palabras y pseudopalabras simples y complejas

Whether morphological processing of complex words occurs beyond orthographic processing is a matter of intense debate. In this study, morphological processing is examined by presenting complex words (brujería -> brujo - witchcraft -> witch), as well as simple (brujaña->brujo) and complex pseudowords (brujanza ->brujo), as primes in three masked lexical decision tasks. In the first experiment, the three experimental conditions facilitated word recognition in comparison to the control condition, but no differences emerged between them. Given the importance of the surface frequency effect observed, a second experiment was conducted. The results fully replicate those observed in the first one, but this time with low frequency targets. In the third experiment, vowels were removed from the stems of primes to reduce the orthographic overlap between primes and targets and, therefore, the influence of the embedded stem effect. The results show facilitative effects only for complex words. However, paired comparisons show no differences between experimental conditions. The overall results show the central role played by the processing of stems in visual word recognition and are explained in terms of current models of morphological processing

La cuestión de si el procesamiento morfológico ocurre más allá del mero procesamiento ortográfico continúa siendo objeto de intenso debate. En este estudio se examina el procesamiento morfológico en tres experimentos de decisión léxica con anticipador enmascarado presentando como anticipadores palabras complejas (brujería -> brujo - witchcraft -> witch), así como pseudopalabras simples (brujaña ->brujo) y pseudopalabras complejas (brujanza ->brujo). En el primer experimento, las tres condiciones experimentales facilitaron el reconocimiento en comparación con la condición de control, pero sin mostrar diferencias entre ellas. Debido a la importancia del efecto observado de la frecuencia de palabra se llevó a cabo un segundo experimento. En él se emplearon únicamente estímulos de baja frecuencia, pero los resultados fueron idénticos a los del primer experimento. En el tercer experimento se eliminaron las vocales de los anticipadores para reducir el solapamiento ortográfico entre anticipador y objetivo y, consecuentemente, la influencia del efecto de repetición de la base. Los resultados mostraron efectos facilitadores solo para las palabras complejas. Sin embargo, las comparaciones por pares no mostraron diferencias entre las condiciones experimentales. Los resultados obtenidos suponen en conjunto un rol muy destacado para el procesamiento de las bases en el reconocimiento léxico y son explicados a la luz de los modelos teóricos actuales sobre procesamiento morfológico

Learning from your mistakes: does it matter if you're out in left foot, I mean field?

Studies have shown that generating errors prior to studying information (pencil-?) can improve target retention relative to passive (i.e., errorless) study, provided that cues and targets are semantically related (pencil-ink) and not unrelated (pencil-frog). In two experiments, we manipulated semantic proximity of errors to targets during trial-and-error to examine whether it would modulate this error generation benefit. In Experiment 1, participants were shown a cue (band-?) and asked to generate a related word (e.g., drum). Critically, they were given a target that either matched the semantic meaning of their guess (guitar) or mismatched it (rubber). In Experiment 2, participants studied Spanish words where the English translation either matched their expectations (pariente-relative) or mismatched it (carpeta-folder). Both experiments show that errors benefit memory to the extent that they overlap semantically with targets. Results are discussed in terms of the retrieval benefits of activating related concepts during learning.

Retrieval activates related words more than presentation.

Retrieving information enhances learning more than restudying. One explanation of this effect is based on the role of mediators (e.g., sand-castle can be mediated by beach). Retrieval is hypothesised to activate mediators more than restudying, but existing tests of this hypothesis have had mixed results [Carpenter, S. K. (2011). Semantic information activated during retrieval contributes to later retention: Support for the mediator effectiveness hypothesis of the testing effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37(6), 1547-1552. doi: 10.1037/a0024140 ; Lehman, M., & Karpicke, J. D. (2016). Elaborative retrieval: Do semantic mediators improve memory? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(10), 1573-1591. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000267 ]. The present experiments explored an explanation of the conflicting results, testing whether mediator activation during a retrieval attempt depends on the accessibility of the target information. A target was considered less versus more accessible when fewer versus more cues were given during retrieval practice (Experiments 1 and 2), when the target had been studied once versus three times initially (Experiment 3), or when the target could not be recalled versus could be recalled during retrieval practice (Experiments 1-3). A mini meta-analysis of all three experiments revealed a small effect such that retrieval activated mediators more than presentation, but mediator activation was not reliably related to target accessibility. Thus, retrieval may enhance learning by activating mediators, in part, but these results suggest the role of other processes, too.

Word and nonword repetition abilities in Spanish language: longitudinal evidence from typically developing and late talking children

This longitudinal study examined the early word and nonword repetition abilities of monolingual Spanish speaking children. We explored the role that word status, word length, and time play in repetition performance of children with different vocabulary levels. We also examined the predictive value of vocabulary level in repetition abilities. Thirty-seven children participated in this study: 15 late talkers and 22 typically developing children. Families completed the Spanish version of the MacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventory (MCDI) at age 2; children performed a word and nonword repetition task at three different moments, with a temporal interval of 6 months between Time 1 and Time 2, and eight months between Time 2 and Time 3, periods during which linguistic development takes place. We found significant effects for word status, word length, vocabulary level and time: words are repeated better than nonwords; one syllable items are easier to repeat than two and three syllable ones; the performance of late talking children is lower compared to typically developing children throughout the study; and repetition abilities improve longitudinally. In addition, early vocabulary level predicts subsequent repetition abilities and early nonword repetition abilities predict future nonword repetition performance (AU)

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Clustering words to match conditions: an algorithm for stimuli selection in factorial designs / Agrupar palabras para igualar condiciones: un algoritmo para la selección de palabras en diseños factoriales

With the increasing refinement of language processing models and the new discoveries about which variables can modulate these processes, stimuli selection for experiments with a factorial design is becoming a tough task. Selecting sets of words that differ in one variable, while matching these same words into dozens of other confounding variables is time consuming and error prone. To assist experimenters in this thankless task, we present a simple method to perform it with little effort. The method is based on Kmeans clustering as a way to detect small and tight clusters of words that match in the desired variables. We have formalized the procedure into an algorithmic format, that is, a series of easy-to-follow steps. In addition, we also provide an SPSS syntax that helps in choosing the correct size of the clustering. After reviewing the theory, we present a worked example that will guide the reader through the complete procedure. The dataset of the worked example is available as a supplementary material to this paper (AU)

Con el creciente refinamiento de los modelos de procesamiento del lenguaje y los nuevos hallazgos sobre qué variables pueden modular dichos procesos, la selección de palabras para experimentos de diseño factorial se está convirtiendo en una tarea cada vez más ardua. Seleccionar conjuntos de palabras que difieren en una variable pero que están igualadas en una decena de posibles variables extrañas, lleva mucho tiempo y está sujeto a errores. Para ayudar a los experimentadores en esta desagradecida tarea, presentamos un método sencillo que permite realizarla con poco esfuerzo. El método se basa en el agrupamiento de Kmedias para identificar conjuntos pequeños y compactos de palabras igualadas en las variables deseadas. El procedimiento ha sido formalizado en un algoritmo, esto es, una serie de pasos concretos y sencillos de seguir. Además, también aportamos la sintaxis en SPSS para ayudar en la selección del número adecuado de agrupaciones. Tras una revisión de la teoría, presentamos un ejemplo práctico que guiará al lector a través del procedimiento completo. El conjunto de datos del ejemplo se encuentra disponible como material complementario a este artículo (AU)

False recognition in DRM lists with low association: a normative study / Reconocimiento falso en listas DRM con asociación baja: estudio normativo

A wide array of studies have explored memory distortions with the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, where participants study lists of words (e.g., door, glass, pane, shade, ledge, etc.) that are associated to another nonpresented critical word (e.g., WINDOW). On a subsequent memory test, the critical word is often falsely recalled and recognized, even though the critical word was not studied. The present normative study provided false recognition indexes for 48 DRM lists in Spanish with three critical words per list. Lists were constructed with low levels of backward associative strength (BAS), never examined before. Results showed that, even with low association, DRM lists were able to produce false recognition (M = 34%). Also, and despite the low level of association, results showed that there was a wide variability in false recognition per list (e.g., 10% in List 24: ANIMAL [ANIMAL], GATO [CAT], PERRO [DOG], celo [heat], cola [tail], manso [docile], peludo [furry], zarpa [claw], presa [prey]; 62% in List 05: DOLOR [PAIN], MUERTE [DEATH], TRISTEZA [SADNESS], odio [hatred], hambre [hunger], inanición [starvation], morir [to die], huérfano [orphan], consolado [consoled]), replicating previous findings. These new DRM lists will allow researchers to explore false memory effects when words are weakly associated among them (AU)

Una gran variedad de estudios han explorado las distorsiones de la memoria con el paradigma Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM). En este paradigma, los participantes estudian listas de palabras (p.e., puerta, vidrio, cristal, persiana, cornisa, etc.) asociadas a otra palabra, no presentada, denominada palabra crítica (p.e., VENTANA). En una posterior prueba de memoria, la palabra crítica, a pesar de no haber sido estudiada, es a menudo recordada o reconocida falsamente. El presente estudio normativo proporciona índices de reconocimiento falso para 48 listas DRM en español con tres palabras críticas por lista. Las listas se construyeron con niveles bajos de fuerza asociativa inversa, niveles que nunca antes se habían examinados. Los resultados mostraron que, incluso con baja asociación, las listas DRM produjeron reconocimiento falso (M = 34%). Además, a pesar del bajo nivel de asociación, los resultados también mostraron que hubo una gran variabilidad en el reconocimiento falso obtenido en las diferentes listas (p.e., 10% en Lista 24: ANIMAL, GATO, PERRO, celo, cola, manso, peludo, zarpa, presa; 62% en Lista 05: DOLOR, MUERTE, TRISTEZA, odio, hambre, inanición, morir, huérfano, consolado), replicándose hallazgos previos. Estas nuevas listas DRM permitirán a los investigadores explorar el efecto de las memorias falsas cuando las palabras están débilmente asociadas entre sí (AU)

Elaboración y validación de una prueba de bisílabos dicóticos en español / Development and validation of a dichotic disyllabic test in Spanish

El propósito de esta investigación es elaborar y obtener indicadores psicométricos para una prueba de bisílabos dicóticos (PBD), de fácil y rápida aplicación, que evalúe el procesamiento auditivo. Esta prueba fue elaborada en la unidad de Audiología de la Escuela de Fonoaudiología de la Universidad de Talca. Se evaluaron 49 sujetos normoyentes. Veintiún sujetos fueron reevaluados para determinar el coeficiente de estabilidad. La PBD mostró un alto valor de consistencia interna (alfa de Cronbach de .86) y una alta confiabilidad test-retest (r = .89; p < .01). Al mismo tiempo se determinó a través de la validez de constructo que la prueba mide la habilidad de escucha dicótica. Los puntajes obtenidos fueron mayores en los sets de 4 estímulos que en los de 6 estímulos. Además se obtuvieron valores mayores en el reconocimiento de palabras por el oído derecho que por el oído izquierdo. Los resultados demuestran la validez del instrumento y su factibilidad de aplicación en población adulta (AU)

The purpose of this study is to develop and obtain the psychometric indicators for a dichotic disyllabic test (DDT) in order to assess auditory processing. This test was developed in the unit of Audiology, School of Audiology at the University of Talca. The study included 49 normal hearing subjects, 21 of whom were re-assessed to determine the reliability coefficient. The DDT showed high test-retest reliability (r = .89; P < .01) and a significant internal consistency value (Cronbach's alpha .86). At the same time, using the construct validity, it was determined that the DDT can be used to measure the ability of dichotic listening. Higher scores were obtained in four stimuli sets than in six stimuli sets. Higher values were obtained in word recognition for the right ear than in the left ear. All these findings suggest that the DDT is valid, and can be applied to obtain normal data for an adult population (AU)

Sleep and its association with aggression among prisoners: Quantity or quality?

OBJECTIVE: The current paper aims to examine the association between self-reported sleep quality and quantity and how these relate to aggression motivation and hostile cognition in a male prisoner sample. The cognitive component of sleep, namely perception, is consequently a variable of particular interest and one neglected by previous research. METHODS: Two independent studies are presented. The first comprised 95 adult male prisoners who completed a sleep quality index along with measures of implicit and explicit aggression. The second study extended this to consider aggression motivation and hostile attribution biases using a sample of 141 young male adult prisoners. RESULTS: In study one, sleep quantity and indicators of sleep quality were found not to associate with aggression whereas the perception of poor sleep did; those perceiving poor sleep quality were more likely than those perceiving good sleep to report they had perpetrated aggression in the previous week and to report higher levels of implicit aggression. Study two found that while increased indicators of poor sleep quality were associated with lower prosocial attribution tendencies and higher levels of reactive and proactive aggression, sleep quantity was not associated. The perception of poor quality sleep was important; those perceiving poor sleep were more likely to report higher levels of reactive and proactive aggression than those reporting good sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively the studies highlight the importance of accounting for the perception of sleep quality as an important cognitive component in understanding the association between sleep and aggression.

Estimating affective word covariates using word association data.

Word ratings on affective dimensions are an important tool in psycholinguistic research. Traditionally, they are obtained by asking participants to rate words on each dimension, a time-consuming procedure. As such, there has been some interest in computationally generating norms, by extrapolating words' affective ratings using their semantic similarity to words for which these values are already known. So far, most attempts have derived similarity from word co-occurrence in text corpora. In the current paper, we obtain similarity from word association data. We use these similarity ratings to predict the valence, arousal, and dominance of 14,000 Dutch words with the help of two extrapolation methods: Orientation towards Paradigm Words and k-Nearest Neighbors. The resulting estimates show very high correlations with human ratings when using Orientation towards Paradigm Words, and even higher correlations when using k-Nearest Neighbors. We discuss possible theoretical accounts of our results and compare our findings with previous attempts at computationally generating affective norms.

Word association norms in Mexican Spanish

The aim of this research is to present a Spanish Word Association Norms (WAN) database of concrete nouns. The database includes 234 stimulus words (SWs) and 67,622 response words (RWs) provided by 478 young Mexican adults. Eight different measures were calculated to quantitatively analyze word-word relationships: 1) Associative strength of the first associate, 2) Associative strength of the second associate, 3) Sum of associative strength of first two associates, 4) Difference in associative strength between first two associates, 5) Number of different associates, 6) Blank responses, 7) Idiosyncratic responses, and 8) Cue validity of the first associate. The resulting database is an important contribution given that there are no published word association norms for Mexican Spanish. The results of this study are an important resource for future research regarding lexical networks, priming effects, semantic memory, among others (AU)

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Normative data for 148 Spanish emotional words in terms of attributions of humanity / Datos normativos de 148 términos afectivos en dimensiones relacionadas con la atribución de humanidad

Research on outgroup infrahumanization is based on the subtle and not deliberate distinction of secondary emotions, an exclusively human emotion, and primary emotions, which are shared by animals and human beings. According to prior studies, people attribute more secondary emotions to the ingroup than to the outgroup which they deny or restrict the ability to experience them. This study presents normative measures for 148 emotional words viewed by Spanish people in seven dimensions related to humanity assessments. Two factors were revealed by the principal components analysis (PCA). The first component was loaded on dimensions that differentiate the emotions depending on the cognitive demands (cognition, moral quality and duration) whereas the second one was loaded on their expressive profile (visibility, age at which they are acquired, universality and causal locus). These dimensions were analyzed in relation to desirability, familiarity and explicit humanity

Las investigaciones sobre la infrahumanización del exogrupo se apoyan en la distinción sutil y no deliberada que existe entre los sentimientos, una emoción exclusivamente humana, y las emociones, que son compartidas por animales y humanos. De acuerdo con esos estudios, las personas atribuyen más sentimientos al endogrupo que al exogrupo al que niegan o restringen la capacidad para experimentarlos. Este estudio presenta los datos normativos relativos a 148 términos afectivos en siete dimensiones relacionadas con las evaluaciones de humanidad. El Análisis de Componentes Principales calculado sobre las respuestas dio lugar a dos factores. El primero agrupó las dimensiones que diferencian los términos afectivos en función de las demandas cognitivas requeridas (cognición, naturaleza moral y duración), mientras que el segundo las diferenció en función de su perfil expresivo (visibilidad, edad a la que se adquiere, universalidad y foco causal). Estas dimensiones se analizaron en relación a la valencia, la familiaridad y la humanidad explicita

fMRI responses to Jung's Word Association Test: implications for theory, treatment and research.

Jung's Word Association Test was performed under fMRI conditions by 12 normal subjects. Pooled complexed responses were contrasted against pooled neutral ones. The fMRI activation pattern of this generic 'complexed response' was very strong (corrected Z scores ranging from 4.90 to 5.69). The activation pattern in each hemisphere includes mirror neurone areas that track 'otherness' (perspectival empathy), anterior insula (both self-awareness and emotional empathy), and cingulated gyrus (self-awareness and conflict-monitoring). These are the sites described by Siegel and colleagues as the 'resonance circuitry' in the brain which is central to mindfulness (awareness of self) and empathy (sense of the other), negotiations between self awareness and the 'internal other'. But there is also an interhemispheric dialogue. Within 3 seconds, the left hemisphere over-rides the right (at least in our normal subjects). Mindfulness and empathy are central to good psychotherapy, and complexes can be windows of opportunity if left-brain hegemony is resisted. This study sets foundations for further research: (i) QEEG studies (with their finer temporal resolution) of complexed responses in normal subjects (ii) QEEG and fMRI studies of complexed responses in other conditions, like schizophrenia, PTSD, disorders of self organization.

Estimating the contributions of associations and recoding in the Implicit Association Test: the ReAL model for the IAT.

We introduce the ReAL model for the Implicit Association Test (IAT), a multinomial processing tree model that allows one to mathematically separate the contributions of attitude-based evaluative associations and recoding processes in a specific IAT. The ReAL model explains the observed pattern of erroneous and correct responses in the IAT via 3 underlying processes: recoding of target and attribute categories into a binary representation in the compatible block (Re), evaluative associations of the target categories (A), and label-based identification of the response that is assigned to the respective nominal category (L). In 7 validation studies, using an adaptive response deadline procedure in order to increase the amount of erroneous responses in the IAT, we demonstrated that the ReAL model fits IAT data and that the model parameters vary independently in response to corresponding experimental manipulations. Further studies yielded evidence for the specific predictive validity of the model parameters in the domain of consumer behavior. The ReAL model allows one to disentangle different sources of IAT effects where global effect measures based on response times lead to equivocal interpretations. Possible applications and implications for future IAT research are discussed.

"That's so gay!" Priming the general negative usage of the word gay increases implicit anti-gay bias.

One of the most recent uses of the term gay is to refer to things as negative in general, detached from explicit reference to gay individuals. Research has shown that exposure to explicitly homonegative speech can increase anti-gay bias; however, the effect of more ambivalent homonegative speech on implicit attitudes has not yet been explored. Despite the conscious disassociation between both meanings of the word, given previous studies on priming and automaticity, an association was expected at an automatic level. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of priming the general negative usage of gay on participants' implicit attitudes towards gay individuals, as measured by the Implicit Association Test. Results revealed that exposure to the general negative usage of gay increased implicit anti-gay bias.

Language development, interpersonal communication, and academic achievement among Japanese children as assessed by the ALADJIN.

OBJECTIVES: Japanese-speaking children in a standard sample were subjected to a test battery (ALADJIN: Assessment Package for Language Development in Japanese Hearing-Impaired Children) to evaluate the effect of language development on both interpersonal communication skills and academic achievement. METHODS: A total of 414 preschool and school-age children without hearing impairment were included in this study. The following tests make up the ALADJIN: the Test of Question-Answer Interaction Development (TQAID), the Japanese Language by Criterion Referenced Test-II (CRT-II) for measuring academic achievement, the Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PVT-R), the Standardized Comprehension Test of Abstract Words (SCTAW), both parts of the Syntactic Processing Test for Aphasia (STA), and the Word Fluency Test (WFT). Means and standard deviations at each academic grade level were calculated, and a multiple regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: A ceiling effect was observed for the TQAID and the STA in children in grade 3 of elementary school, and the scores for the PVT-R, SCTAW, and WFT increased incrementally according to grade level. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the PVT-R, WFT, and STA (production) have predictive power for the results of the TQAID (R = 0.59; R2 = 0.58; p <0.0001), whereas the SCTAW and STA (comprehension) have predictive power for the results of the CRT-II. CONCLUSIONS: Both vocabulary and syntax are important in communication development among children. The results of our multiple regression analysis suggest that different language domains may play different roles in the development of interpersonal communication skills and in academic achievement. The development of interpersonal communication skills is largely based on productive vocabulary and syntax abilities, whereas academic achievement is largely based on comprehensive vocabulary and syntax abilities. Children who have difficulties in either area should be evaluated with detailed language assessment tools such as the ALADJIN in an effort to aid in the selection of appropriate intervention.

Syntactic development in Japanese hearing-impaired children.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined syntactic development of auditory comprehension of sentences in Japanese-speaking school-age children with and without hearing impairment. METHODS: In total, 592 preschool and school-age children (421 normal-hearing and 171 hearing-impaired) were included in this cross-sectional observation study conducted using the Syntactic Processing Test for Aphasia for Japanese language users. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the estimated age at which each syntactic structure was acquired. RESULTS: Acquisition of syntactic structures was observed in hearing-impaired and normal-hearing children. Basic word order sentences of agent-object-verb and the goal benefactive construction were acquired at preschool age (earlier group), whereas reverse word order sentences of object-agent-verb, source benefactive construction, passive voice, and relative clauses were acquired at school age (later group). The results showed that many hearing-impaired children may not acquire Japanese grammatical structures until the age of 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate screening for language development for school-age hearing-impaired children is required for an effective intervention.

Assessing acute stress with the Implicit Association Test.

Assessments of acute stress using self-report questionnaires can be biased by various factors, including social desirability. The present study used a bias-free method, the Implicit Association Test (IAT), to assess stress. Unlike a previous study (Schmukle & Egloff, 2004) in which acute stress was not detected with the IAT, this study manipulated stress by generating test anxiety and threatening self-esteem. The results revealed that the IAT effect was greater in the high-stress group than in the low-stress group. Participants in the high-stress group associated their concept of self with the concept of anxiety more strongly than did those in the low-stress group. This result suggests that the IAT is a sensitive measure for detecting group differences in acute stress.

Integrative and semantic relations equally alleviate age-related associative memory deficits.

Two experiments compared effects of integrative and semantic relations between pairs of words on lexical and memory processes in old age. Integrative relations occur when two dissimilar and unassociated words are linked together to form a coherent phrase (e.g., horse-doctor). In Experiment 1, older adults completed a lexical-decision task where prime and target words were related either integratively or semantically. The two types of relation both facilitated responses compared to a baseline condition, demonstrating that priming can occur in older adults with minimal preexisting associations between primes and targets. In Experiment 2, young and older adults completed a cued recall task with integrative, semantic, and unrelated word pairs. Both integrative and semantic pairs showed significantly smaller age differences in associative memory compared to unrelated pairs. Integrative relations facilitated older adults' memory to a similar extent as semantic relations despite having few preexisting associations in memory. Integratability of stimuli is therefore a new factor that reduces associative deficits in older adults, most likely by supporting encoding and retrieval mechanisms.

Falso reconocimiento en listas DRM con tres palabras críticas: Asociación directa vs. inversa / False recognition in DRM lists with three critical words: Forward vs. Backward association

En este trabajo se ha estudiado el falso reconocimiento utilizando el paradigma Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM). Concretamente, se ha analizado el efecto diferencial de la fuerza asociativa directa e inversa sobre el falso reconocimiento, a la vez que se ha estudiado el papel desempeñado por el alto o bajo nivel de asociación de las listas en este tipo de ilusiones asociativas de memoria. Se emplearon 16 listas compuestas por 6 palabras asociadas y 3 palabras críticas. Ocho listas se construyeron a partir de la fuerza asociativa directa y ocho a partir de la fuerza asociativa inversa. Se controlaron los niveles de asociación de las listas para que las listas fueran comparables entre sí en cuanto a nivel de asociación, existiendo dos grupos en función del alto o bajo nivel de asociación. Los resultados mostraron que las listas DRM con 3 palabras críticas producían falso reconocimiento, siendo adecuada su utilización en procedimientos experimentales que requieran emplear más de un ensayo crítico por lista. Al comparar los diferentes tipos de listas, los análisis indicaban que el porcentaje de falso reconocimiento de las listas con baja fuerza asociativa directa (19.50%) era significativamente más bajo que el falso reconocimiento del resto de las listas (alta y baja fuerza asociativa inversa y alta fuerza asociativa directa), donde el falso reconocimiento superaba el 42%(AU)

False recognition (FR) was studied in one experiment using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Specifically, the differential contributions of forward associative strength and backward associative strength were analyzed, together with an analysis of the role played by the associative level of the lists on this kind of memory illusion. Materials consisted of 16 lists, each was formed by 6 to-beremembered associates and 3 critical, never studied, words. Eight lists were constructed on the basis of forward associative strength, and the other 8 lists were constructed on the basis of backward associative strength. In all cases, the lists were matched for level of association, and further divided into two sets, to obtain comparable lists of each type with high and low associative levels. The results showed that, globally, DRM lists with 3 critical words produced robust levels of false recognition, rendering them appropriate for experimental procedures that require more than one critical trial per list. A comparison of the different types of lists revealed that false recognition with low forward-associative-strength lists (19.50%) was significantly lower than with the other 3 types of lists (low and high backward-associative-strength, and high forward-associative-strength), for which false recognition exceeded 42%(AU)

Influence of reading ability on neuropsychological performance in African American elders.

Use of normative data stratified by education may result in misclassification of African American older adults because reading ability, an estimate of educational attainment, is lower than reported years of education for some African American elders. This study examined the contribution of reading ability versus education to neuropsychological test performance in 86 community-dwelling African American elders ages 56-91 with 8-18 years of education. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that reading ability, but not education, was significantly associated with performances on the Trail Making Test, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Animal Naming, Digit Span, and the Stroop test. Reading ability was not significantly related to performances on measures of memory. Medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.58-1.41) were found when comparing mean performances on neuropsychological measures in groups with low versus high reading scores. Results indicate that reading ability contributes beyond educational attainment to performances on some neuropsychological measures among African American elders. These findings have implications for reducing misclassification among minority populations through the use of appropriate normative data.