Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Colleen Parks

Second Committee Member

David Copeland

Third Committee Member

Joel Snyder

Fourth Committee Member

Lisa Bendixen

Number of Pages

71

Abstract

A long-standing debate has reappeared regarding whether the rate of forgetting is independent or dependent upon the initial degree of learning. Interestingly, both conclusions have been supported. These diverging conclusions could be due to the analytical method and operational definition of forgetting employed: Researchers supporting independence typically measure forgetting as the number of items forgotten at a given retention interval, while those in favor of dependence typically measure forgetting as the number of items forgotten between test intervals. The current study tested whether the degree of learning affects the rate of forgetting for recognition accuracy (da) and other memory processes (recollection and familiarity) and was examined using two analytical methods. Levels of processing was manipulated at study and recognition memory was tested at five delay intervals. Results support independence for both analytical methods, showing that the rate of forgetting for items learned at both deep and shallow levels of processing remain parallel over time.

Keywords

Familiarity; Forgetting; Initial degree of learning; Levels of processing; Recognition memory; Recollection

Disciplines

Cognitive Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

File Format

PDF

File Size

1305 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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