On the nature of pictorial encoding: A levels-of-processing analysis

3 experiments with 312 undergraduate Ss investigated the role of the verbal labeling process in coding pictures serving as paired-associate stimuli. Results indicate that the pictures were labeled only when responses rhymed with the names of the pictures. When the responses were associatively relate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Experimental Psychology : Human Learning and Memory 1976-01, Vol.2 (1), p.49-57
Main Authors: Nelson, Douglas L, Reed, Valerie S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Associative Processes
Cognitive Mediation
Human
Interference (Learning)
Nonverbal Meaning
Paired Associate Learning
Stimulus Similarity
Verbal Meaning
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Summary:3 experiments with 312 undergraduate Ss investigated the role of the verbal labeling process in coding pictures serving as paired-associate stimuli. Results indicate that the pictures were labeled only when responses rhymed with the names of the pictures. When the responses were associatively related to their stimuli the pictures were not named, suggesting that pictorial meaning is conveyed without apparent verbal mediation via name codes. Pictorial labeling is not an automatic process--a result that is inconsistent with the dual code hypothesis as the primary explanation for the pictorial superiority effect. A levels-of-processing explanation emphasizing qualitative differences between pictures and their name codes was offered and tested in a 4th experiment with 128 undergraduate Ss. Results suggest that meaning is processed independently of the type of representation eliciting it and that the picture-word difference is related to the sensory level of processing.
ISSN:0096-1515
0278-7393
2327-9745
1939-1285
DOI:10.1037/0278-7393.2.1.49