Page 2 - LN 3_Learning

✓ Trials continue until the participant gives all the response words without a
single error.
✓ The total number of trials taken to reach the criterion becomes the measure

of paired-associates learning.

Serial learning:

✓ This method of verbal learning is used to find out how participants learn
the lists of verbal items, and what processes are involved in it.
✓ First, lists of verbal items, i.e. nonsense syllables, most familiar or least
familiar words, interrelated words, etc. are prepared.
✓ The participant is presented the entire list and is required to produce the
items in the same serial order as in the list.

o In the first trial, the first item of the list is shown, and the participant
has to produce the second item.
✓ If s/he fails to do so within the prescribed time, the experimenter presents
the second item.
✓ Now this item becomes the stimulus and the participant has to produce the
third item that is the response word.
✓ This procedure is called serial anticipation method.

✓ Learning trials continue until the participant correctly anticipates all the
items in the given order.

Free Recall:

✓ In this method, participants are presented a list of words, which they read
and speak out.
✓ Each word is shown at a fixed rate of exposure duration.
✓ Immediately after the presentation of the list, the participants are required
to recall the words in any order they can.

✓ Words in the list may be interrelated or unrelated.
✓ More than ten words are included in the list.
✓ The presentation order of words varies from trial to trial.
✓ This method is used to study how participants organise words for storage
in memory.
✓ Studies indicate that the items placed in the beginning or end of the lists are

easier to recall than those placed in the middle, which are more difficult to
recall.
▪ Determinants of verbal learning
✓ The course of verbal learning is influenced by a number of factors.