Conducted 3 paired-associate learning experiments with undergraduates (N = 436) in which consonant trigrams (CCCs) were used as stimuli and recall to the individual letters from the CCCs was tested following learning. The efficiency of cue selection (the percentage of the recall to the individual letters which would be necessary for recall to the trigrams) was greater for Ss who learned slower, for Ss who had learned a list prior to the 1 tested for cue selection, and for difficult items. Efficiency decreased as degree of learning increased. However, the small decrease in efficiency with overlearning is not interpreted as due to relaxation of the selector mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)