Blocking of stimuli and the free recall and subjective organization of EMR adolescents.

Number of unrelated stimulus items presented consistently and spatially grouped (1, 3, or 5) was studied in a multitrial free recall experiment with EMR adolescents. This blocking was effective in (a) improving recall from recently presented items, (b) increasing subjective organization, and (c) leading to the formation of stable clusterable output groups. Some evidence suggested that overall recall also increased as a result of the consistent and simultaneous presentation. Discussion of the results emphasized that for a retarded population the relationship between organization and recall may not be strong unless intensive strategy training is employed.