Can an isolated middle-series item make a “Dent” in the bow-shaped serial-position curve of comparative judgments?

Authors

Jerwen Jou, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Kaelyn G. Calma, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Lucy A. Elizondo, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Jesus A. Cruz, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Sofia S. Moreno, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Po-Yi Chen, National Taiwan Normal University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-27-2024

Abstract

Studies have shown that local (e.g., midseries) items’ specific properties, including being isolated from rest of the items, can generate a local distinctiveness effect, enhancing the memory performance for the local items in serial recall or absolute judgments. However, this has not been the case in relative (comparative) judgments. For the first time, the present study found a local distinctiveness effect in comparative judgments by using an opposite-gender name for the midseries item in an otherwise uniformly one-gender name serial list. The reasons for the previous studies’ failure to produce this effect in comparative judgments and the present study’s success in obtaining it were discussed. The implication of the finding for the item/order information opponent-process theories was also suggested.

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Recommended Citation

Jou, J., Calma, K.G., Elizondo, L.A. et al. Can an isolated middle-series item make a “Dent” in the bow-shaped serial-position curve of comparative judgments?. Psychological Research (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-024-01975-4

Publication Title

Psychological Research

DOI

10.1007/s00426-024-01975-4