Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

7-29-1977

Abstract

Recent memory investigations have questioned Paivio's dual-coding hypothesis. These studies led to the conclusion that verbal labelling of pictorial stimuli did not occur automatically, as was suggested by Paivio. However, these conclusions were based on tasks which were sensitive only to which codes were actually used, not which codes were established. The present experiments used a color-naming interference task in order to assess, with a more sensitive measure, the amount of verbal coding occurring in response to pictorial input. Subjects named the color of ink in which words were printed following either word or picture input. If verbal labelling of the input occurs, then the latencies of color-naming should increase when the input item and color-naming word are related. The results provided substantial evidence of verbal activation when the input items were words. However, the presence of verbal activation with pictorial input was a function of task demands. The results supported the conclusion that pictorial stimuli are not always verbally labelled, indicating that Paivio's dual-coding hypothesis must be modified.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Henry Carleton Ellis

Second Committee Member

Carol Elizabeth Conrad

Third Committee Member

Thomas Patrick Friden

Fourth Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Fifth Committee Member

Joseph Anthony Parsons

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS