Picture superiority in conceptual memory: Dissociative effects of encodingand retrieval tasks

We examined the role of encoding processes for picture superiority in expli cit and conceptual-implicit memory. The nature of encoding instruction (nam ing or semantic categorization) yielded dissociative effects on picture and word memory on one explicit test, category-cued recall, and two conceptual -implicit tests, category-cued generation and category-cued verification. C ategory-cued recall was greater for pictures than for words following namin g, but it did not differ for pictures and words following semantic categori zation. Category-cued generation priming was greater for pictures than for words following naming, but it was greater for words than for pictures foll owing semantic categorization. In contrast, category-cued verification prim ing did not differ for pictures and words following either naming or semant ic categorization. Thus, picture superiority can be eliminated or reversed depending on the type of conceptual encoding task and conceptual-retrieval test.