Dr. Fernald is conducting a memory experiment. One group of participants has to decide whether each of a list of words begins with the same letter as a target word; a second group has to determine whether each of a list of words rhymes with a target word; finally, a third group has to determine whether each of a list of words is a synonym or an antonym of a target word. Later, all participants are asked to recall the list words. According to levels-of-processing theory, which group's performance should be the highest The lowest
A)highest-synonym/antonym group; lowest-same letter group
B)highest-same letter group; lowest-synonym/antonym group
C)highest-rhyme group; lowest-same letter group
D)highest-synonym/antonym group; lowest-rhyme group

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the levels-of-processing theory, deeper levels of analysis, such as semantic processing (e.g., determining synonyms or antonyms), lead to better memory recall than shallower levels of processing, such as phonemic (e.g., rhyming) or orthographic (e.g., same letter) processing. Therefore, the synonym/antonym group, which engages in semantic processing, should have the highest performance, while the same letter group, engaging in shallow orthographic processing, should have the lowest.

Dr Fernald Is Conducting a Memory Experiment