Production and use of mnemonic phrases in paired-associate learning with digits as response-terms

TLDR: In this paper, the authors studied the use of mnemonic words or phrases for the recall and recognition of numbers in Japanese and found that the mnemonics were especially efficient when they were meaningful and related to the corresponding names or other'stimulus' words.

Abstract: Summary.-Undergraduate students learned paired-associates, with names of shops as stimulus-terms and sets of 4 digits ("telephone numbers") as response-terms. In Exp. I, Ss, by assigning one of several alternative pronunciations, or "readings," to each digit, as permitted in modern Japanese, were quickly able to produce mnemonic words or phrases for about half the 20 pairs, and these devices greatly facilitated Ss' recall and recognition of the numbers. In Exp. 11, experimental Ss given these mnemonic phrases performed significantly better in recall and recognition of the numbers than control Ss. The nature of verbal 'coding' is discussed in detail. Daily observation suggests that many Japanese use mnemonics when they try co remember a series of digits, e.g., telephone numbers, addresses, etc. The digits are read (pronounced) so that the series of readings (pronunciations) makes a word or phrase. Such mnemonic words or phrases are especially efficient when they are not only meaningful but related to the corresponding names or other 'stimulus' words. To allow for a variety of meaningful and related phrases there must be at least several differenr readings for each digit. Since Japanese employs two counting systems, each digit has two pronunciations, and their abbreviations and variations necessarily increase che number of possible alternatives. Thus, for example, the number 2 has :hree very common readings: nil fata and fu. Most Japanese can easily reproduce the digit 2 from any of these readings. Therefore, a series of digits is memorized and scored as a word/phrase and the digits are retrieved from that word/phrase. This situation gives us a unique opportunity for studying mnemonics. In all earlier studies on the use of mnemonics dealing with number (Bugelski, Kidd, & Segmen, 1968; Keppel & Zavortink, 1969; Paivio, 1968; Smith & Noble, 1965), words were response-terms and their position numbers were stimulusterms, either manifest (where paired-associate learning was used) or lacent (in serial learning studies). After this, they were encouraged to make an image incorporating both stimulus- and response-terms. Such "imagery" is considered by most to be an essential component of any effective mnemonics. The present study of mnemonics uansforming digits as response-terms will give us new insights into the nature of verbal 'coding.' In addition, in all previous studies