EFFECT OF KEYWORDS ON LONG-TERM RETENTION - HELP OR HINDRANCE

Three experiments assessed the long-term effectiveness of the keyword mnemonic relative to a nonmnemonic (i.e., semantic-context) learning s trategy. Following incidental-learning instructions, cued recall was a ssessed either immediately or after a 2-day delay. The keyword mnemoni c produced superior immediate performance relative to the semantic-con text strategy. However, after 2 days, there was a marked reversal in p erformance, with higher levels of delayed recall associated with seman tic-context learning. This pattern of findings was obtained when obscu re English words (Experiment 1) and second-language vocabulary (Experi ment 2) were the learning stimuli. When practice frequencies were mani pulated (Experiment 3), increased opportunities for study were more li kely to boost the long-term retention of keyword learners compared wit h semantic-context learners. The implication is that keyword-based mem ories are especially fragile over time and will benefit from repeated testing and rehearsal.