In an experiment,subjects were much more likely to accurately recognize the word "pearl" from a previously presented list of words if the experimenter had initially presented the word within the following sentence,"Oysters produce pearls" rather than in the sentence "Pearl rhymes with curl." The subjects' better remembering of the word pearl when it was initially presented to them semantically rather than as a rhyme is consistent with the ____.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The subjects' improved memory performance for the word "pearl" when it was presented in a meaningful, semantic context ("Oysters produce pearls") rather than in a non-semantic context ("Pearl rhymes with curl") illustrates the encoding specificity principle. This principle suggests that memory is improved when information at encoding (learning) is similar to information present at retrieval, emphasizing the importance of context in memory recall.

In an Experiment,subjects Were Much More Likely to Accurately Recognize