The modality effect refers to the robust finding that memory performance differs for items presented aurally, as compared with visually. Whereas auditory presentation leads to stronger recency performance in immediate recall, visual presentation often produces better primacy performance (the inverse modality effect). To investigate and model these…

College student subjects were presented one of four versions of a simulated news broadcast. Audio-plus-print elicited the highest recall scores. Print alone generated more involvement than videotape or audio-plus-print.

Indicates that the auditory modality was superior to the visual/written modality in learning and retention. (RB)

Studies whether presentations by an iconic system (pictures) or a linguistic system (print or audio) aid learning. Tests given fourth-to-sixth graders showed alternation between systems, using each to assimilate information. Learning was not as effective when content differed between the systems and this information was presented simultaneously…

Examines modality differences in preschoolers' ability to recognize or recall temporally related events and extends Ward and Wackman's model by evaluating whether the assumed "visual viewing style" applies to preschoolers' processing of temporal relations. Results demonstrated that temporally related events were remembered more…

Reports three experiments investigating the relationship of the suffix effect and echoic memory. Shows that echoic memory persists for at least 20 seconds. Illustrates that echoic memory can be used to establish a more effective nonechoic memory. Shows that recency recall is higher to auditory than to visual items. (PMJ)

A study investigated the learning impact of audio, visual, and audiovisual information channels in televised messages among preschool children. The messages consisted of a half-hour videotape of "Sesame Street" episodes (presented to 48 subjects), and a videotape of an intact "Mister Roger's Neighborhood" program (presented to…

Groups of extrovert, ambivert, and introvert children, aged 8, saw pictures with a taped commentary about each. On an immediate recall test, extroverts recalled most if given the commentary before the picture, introverts did best when the picture came first, and ambiverts performed similarly in both conditions. (Author/SJL)

An investigation of a saturation advertising campaign to acquaint the public with changes in radio wavelengths showed that repeated presentation of material does not lead to learning unless appropriate encoding occurs. Such encoding will occur when subjects are allowed to use previously acquired learning strategies. (PMJ)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether children as young as second-graders could encode categorically within an abstract evaluative dimension. The study uses mode of stimulus presentation (auditory or visual) as an independent variable. The subjects were 40 white middle class children from grades 2, 4, and 6, who were randomly assigned…

A study tested the effects of between-channel redundancy on television news learning. Redundancy, defined as shared information, was proposed as an explanatory variable that considers the relationship between information in three channels: the audio, the nonverbal pictorial, and visual-verbal print channel. It was hypothesized that pictures would…