Forget instructions: Effect of selective rehearsal and categorical distinctiveness.

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Abstract
Examined the "only effect" in which recall of to-be-remembered (TBR) items is higher when S is instructed to forget part of the list than when he is responsible for the whole list. Lists of 4 pairs, subdivided in sets of 2 pairs, were presented to 192 undergraduates with instructions to learn all items. 1 pair was tested after each list. Between list presentation and the recall test, S was cued on 1/2 the trials that he would be responsible for only the 1st or only the 2nd set. On the remaining trials, the cue told S that he would be responsible for all 4 pairs. The use of categorized and uncategorized lists either permitted or inhibited rehearsal. It was found that differential rehearsal of TBR and to-be-forgotten items was not necessary for the only effect, and that the only effect was greater when the sets of pairs were categorized. Results are discussed in terms of the possible mechanisms underlying the effect of forget instructions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

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