Facilitation effect of incidental environmental context on the computer screen for paired-associate learning.

Three experiments, in which a total of 198 undergraduates engaged, investigate whether the incidental environmental context on the computer screen influences paired-associate learning. Experiment 1 compared the learning of foreign- and native-language words between a constant context condition, where the stimulus and response pairs were presented twice on the same 5-s video background context, and a varied context condition, where the pairs were presented twice on different video contexts. Repetition in the same context resulted in better learning than in different contexts, evaluated with a paper-and-pencil test.

Reexamination of mood-mediation hypothesis of background-music-dependent effects in free recall.

The present study reexamined the mood-mediation hypothesis for explaining background-music-dependent effects in free recall. Experiments 1 and 2 respectively examined tempo- and tonality-dependent effects in free recall, which had been used as evidence for the mood-mediation hypothesis. In Experiments 1 and 2, undergraduates (n = 75 per experiment) incidentally learned a list of 20 unrelated words presented one by one at a rate of 5 s per word and then received a 30-s delayed oral free-recall test.

Odor-context effects in free recall after a short retention interval: a new methodology for controlling adaptation.

The present study investigated context effects of incidental odors in free recall after a short retention interval (5 min). With a short retention interval, the results are not confounded by extraneous odors or encounters with the experimental odor and possible rehearsal during a long retention interval. A short study time condition (4 s per item), predicted not to be affected by adaptation to the odor, and a long study time condition (8 s per item) were used.

Effects of study time and meaningfulness on environmental context-dependent recognition.

In two experiments, we examined whether the size of place-context-dependent recognition decreased with study time and with the meaningfulness of the to-be-remembered materials. A group of 80 undergraduates intentionally studied a list of words in a short (1.5 s per item) or a long (4.

Context-dependent effects of background colour in free recall with spatially grouped words.

Three experiments investigated context-dependent effects of background colour in free recall with groups of items. Undergraduates (N=113) intentionally studied 24 words presented in blocks of 6 on a computer screen with two different background colours. The two background colours were changed screen-by-screen randomly (random condition) or alternately (alternation condition) during the study period.

Effects of simple- and complex-place contexts in the multiple-context paradigm.

In four experiments, a total of 384 undergraduates incidentally learned a list of 24 nouns twice in the same context (same-context repetition) or different contexts (different-context repetition). Free recall was measured in a neutral context. Experiments 1, 2, and 3 used a context repetition (same- or different-context repetition) × inter-study and retention intervals (10 min or 1 day) between-participants design.

Influences of environmental context on the recency effect in free recall.

A total of 208 undergraduate participants incidentally encoded a list of seven pairs of familiar words in two experiments. A 30-sec calculation task was imposed before and after each pair was encoded. Participants received a free recall test 24 h (Experiment 1) or 10 min (Experiment 2) after the encoding session, under conditions in which the original environmental context was reinstated or not.

Study-time effect on free recall within and out of context.

Three experiments examined whether or not the study-time effect, which was observed when recall took place in the original environmental context, was eliminated or markedly diminished when recall took place in a different environmental context. A total of 456 undergraduates studied a list of words for either a short or long study time before receiving an oral free recall test under conditions where the original environmental context was or was not reinstated. Environmental context was manipulated by the combination of physical features of the room, subsidiary task, and experimenter.

[Effects of contextual variation during encoding on decontextualization of episodic memory].

Two experiments examined whether or not contextual variation during encoding of a list enhances decontextualization of episodic memory of the list. A total of 86 undergraduates incidentally encoded a list of 24 nouns twice under the same (same-context repetition condition) or different (different-context repetition condition) contexts with a one-week inter-encoding interval. One week after the second encoding of the list, the undergraduates were asked to free recall the list under the third neutral context.

[Environmental context effects of background colors on recognition memory].

Three experiments examined whether or not switching study background-color contexts among target words at testing reduces word-recognition performance. These experiments also examined whether or not presentation rate--one of the determinants of item strength--interacted with background-color context. Undergraduates learned 40 target words presented at a rate of 1.

Effects of environmental context manipulated by the combination of place and task on free recall.

Three experiments, using a 2 (study context) x 2 (test context) between-subjects design, were conducted to examine the effects of environmental context manipulated by the combination of two contextual elements, place and task, on free recall. Undergraduates individually studied nouns and received a free-recall test, with a 10-minute filled retention interval. The contexts were manipulated by the combination of task and place in Experiment 1, by place alone in Experiment 2, and by task alone in Experiment 3.