Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 9-1-2002
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Abstract
In 4 experiments, symbolic comparisons were investigated to test semantic-memory retrieval accounts espousing processing advantages for the picture over word stimuli. In Experiment 1, participants judged pairs of animal names or pictures by responding to questions probing concrete or abstract attributes (texture or size, ferocity or intelligence). Per pair, attributes were salient or nonsalient concerning their prerated relevance to animals being compared. Distance (near or far) between attribute magnitudes was also varied. Pictures did not significantly speed responding relative to words across all other variables. Advantages were found for far attribute magnitudes (i.e., the distance effect) and salient attributes. The distance effect was much less for salient than nonsalient concrete-attribute comparisons. These results were consistently found in additional experiments with increased statistical power to detect modality effects. Our findings argue against dual-coding and some common-code accounts of conceptual attribute processing, urging a reexamination of the assumption that pictures confer privileged access to long-term knowledge.
DOI
DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.28.5.843
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Amrhein, Paul; Mcdaniel, Mark; and Waddill, Paula, "Revisiting the Picture-Superiority Effect in Symbolic Comparisons: Do Pictures Provide Privileged Access?" (2002). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 31.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/31
Published Citation
Amrhein, P. C., M. A. McDaniel, and P. Waddill. "Revisiting the picture-superiority effect in symbolic comparisons: do pictures provide privileged access?." Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition 28, no. 5 (2002): 843-857.
Included in
Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Human Factors Psychology Commons, Nervous System Commons, Semantics and Pragmatics Commons, Sense Organs Commons