Abstract
The standard paired-associate anticipation procedure previously has been argued to be inferior to recall (Battig, 1965). Anticipation performance measures provide contaminated and inaccurate estimates of Ss’ current learning level, reflecting the unnecessary confusion produced by requiring S to do too many things at once. The present paper shows these arguments against anticipation procedures to apply equally to other types of verbal-learning tasks. Even stronger advantages of recall over anticipation procedures are demonstrated for serial learning, wherein recall additionally displays a markedly greater sensitivity to the effects of relevant manipulated variables, and does not result in the classical bowed serial-position curve that has proved so difficult to understand under serial anticipation.
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The preparation of this paper, along with the research upon which it is based, were supported bv Public Health Research Grant HD-03058-02 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This is Publication No. 1 of the Institute for the Study of Intellectual Behavior, University of Colorado.
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Battig, W.F. Advantages of recall over anticipation methods in verbal learning. Behav. Res. Meth. & Instru. 1, 217–220 (1968). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03208099
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03208099