Gibbons Jeffrey A, Velkey Andrew J, Partin Kathren T
Christopher Newport University, 1 University Place, Newport News, VA 23606, USA.
Percept Mot Skills. 2008 Jun;106(3):795-810. doi: 10.2466/pms.106.3.795-810.
Methodological biases may help explain the modality effect, which is superior recall of auditory recency (end of list) items relative to visual recency items. In 1985 Nairne and McNabb used a counting procedure to reduce methodological biases, and they produced modality-like effects, such that recall of tactile recency items was superior to recall of visual recency items. The present study extended Nairne and McNabb's counting procedure and controlled several variables which may have enhanced recall of tactile end items or disrupted recall of visual end items in their study. Although the results of the present study indicated general serial position effects across tactile, visual, and auditory presentation modalities, the tactile condition showed lower recall for the initial items in the presentation list than the other two conditions. Moreover, recall of the final list item did not differ across the three presentation modalities; modality effects were not found. These results did not replicate the findings of Nairne and McNabb, or much of the past research showing superior recall of auditory recency items. Implications of these findings are discussed.
方法学偏差可能有助于解释模态效应，即相对于视觉近因项，听觉近因（列表末尾）项的回忆效果更佳。1985年，奈恩和麦克纳布采用了一种计数程序来减少方法学偏差，他们产生了类似模态的效应，即触觉近因项的回忆优于视觉近因项。本研究扩展了奈恩和麦克纳布的计数程序，并控制了几个变量，这些变量在他们的研究中可能增强了对触觉末尾项的回忆或干扰了对视觉末尾项的回忆。尽管本研究结果表明，在触觉、视觉和听觉呈现模态中存在一般的系列位置效应，但触觉条件下呈现列表中初始项的回忆低于其他两种条件。此外，三种呈现模态下最后一个列表项的回忆没有差异；未发现模态效应。这些结果未能重复奈恩和麦克纳布的研究结果，也未能重复过去许多显示听觉近因项回忆更佳的研究结果。本文讨论了这些发现的意义。
