120 SS RECEIVED 24 WORD TRIADS IN A SHORT-TERM MEMORY TEST. WHEN MASSED, RETENTION WAS MAXIMUM FOR THE 1ST ITEM OF A CATEGORY, SIGNIFICANTLY POORER IN MOST CASES FOR THE 2ND AND 3RD; WHEN DISTRIBUTED, NO LOSS OCCURRED FOR RETENTION OF WORDS, A SLIGHT LOSS FOR INTRAITEM POSITION. HETEROGENEOUS ITEMS SHOWED MAXIMUM PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE AFTER 1 TRIAL. WORD FREQUENCY DID NOT INTERACT WITH THE OTHER VARIABLES. THE INTERPRETATION IS THAT PROACTIVE INTERFERENCE DOES NOT DEVELOP ACROSS TAXONOMIC CLASSES AND THAT WITHIN CLASSES IT DISSIPATES IF ITEMS ARE SUFFICIENTLY SPACED.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract