Pa. Frensch et Cs. Miner, EFFECTS OF PRESENTATION RATE AND INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN SHORT-TERM-MEMORY CAPACITY ON AN INDIRECT MEASURE OF SERIAL-LEARNING, Memory & cognition, 22(1), 1994, pp. 95-110
In three experiments, we studied the relation between degree of implic
it learning and two aspects of short-term memory: (1) the activation l
evel of the to-be-learned information, and (2) individual differences
in short-term memory capacity. In all the experiments, we used the Nis
sen and Bullemer (1987) serial reaction time paradigm or a modificatio
n thereof. The effects of activation level were assessed by experiment
ally manipulating the rate of presentation. Individual differences in
short-term memory capacity were assessed via traditional span measures
. The experiments demonstrated that the rate of presentation reliably
affected an indirect measure of learning (i.e., response time) under b
oth incidental and intentional task instructions and under both single
-task and dual-task conditions. Short-term memory span was reliably re
lated to the indirect measure of learning only in some experimental co
nditions. The findings represent important constraints for models of i
mplicit serial learning and are discussed within a general framework f
or understanding implicit learning and memory.