Reassessing the Token Set Size Effect on Serial Recall: Implications for Theories of Auditory Distraction

Autor/inn/en	Bell, Raoul; Röer, Jan P.; Lang, Albert-Georg; Buchner, Axel
Titel	Reassessing the Token Set Size Effect on Serial Recall: Implications for Theories of Auditory Distraction
Quelle	In: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 45 (2019) 8, S.1432-1440 (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Bell, Raoul)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0278-7393
DOI	10.1037/xlm0000658
Schlagwörter	Recall (Psychology); Auditory Stimuli; Visual Stimuli; Interference (Learning); Short Term Memory; College Students; Foreign Countries; Speech; Acoustics; Statistical Analysis; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Abberufung; Auditive Stimulation; Kurzzeitgedächtnis; Collegestudent; Ausland; Speaking; Sprechen; Akustik; Statistische Analyse; Deutschland
Abstract	Sequences of auditory objects such as one-syllable words or brief sounds disrupt serial recall of visually presented targets even when the auditory objects are completely irrelevant for the task at hand. The "token set size effect" is a label for the claim that disruption increases only when moving from a 1-token distractor sequence (e.g., "AAAAAAAA") to a token set size of 2 (e.g., "ABABABAB") but remains constant when moving from a token set size of 2 to a larger token set size (e.g., "ABCABCAB" or "DAGCFBEH"). Here we show that this claim was incorrect and based on experiments with insufficient statistical power. With sufficient statistical power it can be shown that disruption increases not only when the distractor token set size increases from 1 to 2, but also when it increases from two to eight one-syllable words (Experiment 1) and brief instrumental sounds (Experiment 2). These findings have implications for theories of auditory distraction which differ in their predictions about whether the distractor-induced performance decrement should (a) only be determined by acoustic differences between immediately adjacent distractor tokens (duplex-mechanism account) or (b) gradually increase as a function of the variability in the distractor set (attentional account). The present data are inconsistent with the duplex-mechanism account and support the attentional account. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01