Two experiments explore the effects of noise on memory for spoken syllables
. Participants identified and then recalled nonsense syllables under differ
ent levels of noise. There were significant decrements in memory, even in c
onditions where there was no effect of the noise on identification of the s
yllable. The experiments showed effects over ail list positions as well as
decreases in the final, or recency, portion of the curve. Results suggest t
hat both capacity and dual-coding play a role in immediate memory.