PROCEDURAL DEPENDENCE IN ACTION MEMORY - EFFECTS OF VERB FORM AND INDIVIDUAL VS GROUP CONDITIONS

Two experiments explored whether the magnitude of the enactment effect in action memory (i.e., higher recall with motor than with non-motor encoding) may depend upon the use of individual or group testing proce dures. Nonmotor encoding instructions, requiring the subjects to liste n to orally presented action items, were compared to instructions whic h also required enactment. With encoding treated as a within-subject f actor, the observations failed to reveal any significant difference be tween individual and group testing. With encoding treated as a between -subject factor, the results showed an interaction between test and en coding conditions, such that an enactment effect was found only with g roup testing. Different support value for auditory cues in group and i ndividual test situations was assumed to account for this difference. In a third experiment the indicative and imperative verb forms were co mpared. An interaction was observed, showing that in Norwegian, enacte d verbs were remembered better when presented in the indicative than i n the imperative. No corresponding difference was found under non-enac tment conditions. For this finding, a social interaction interpretatio n was offered.