Differential encoding as a function of semantic polarity and form of visual stimulus presentation.

The present study investigated the saliency of form of visual stimulus presentation (printed word or picture) and of the semantic evaluative dimension (positive or negative) as encoding attributes for fifth-grade children. Three short-term memory trials within one visual form of presentation or one pole of the evaluative dimension were followed by a fourth short-term memory trial on which the stimulus material was shifted on one or both attributes (experimentals) or held constant (controls). The recall of the experimental groups consistently exceeded that of the control groups on the shift trial, providing evidence for a release from proaetive inhibition and implying the saliency of both the form of visual stimulus presentation and the evaluative polarity of the stimulus concepts as encoding dimensions.