Abstract

It was assumed that orgarnization could occur at both of the retrieval and storage stage and that the subjective set is it's main determinant. In an attempt to test this assumption, an experiment was performed, manipulating the list context-structuredness and inducing the subjective sets. Lists were consisted of 18 word-triads (noun, verb, & adverb). In the highly structured list (H), triads could be made into sentences and in the lowly structured list (L), unable. Sets were induced in three different ways. One group was given before presentation of the list，information of which part of each triad is to be recalled, another (CR) given the information just before recall, and the other given none but asked to recall all the items in the list. The number of repetition was taken as the dependent variable. The amount of orgarnization (O-E; ratio of repetitions) was greater in H than L. O-E was KR>CR>FR in H and KR>CR=FR in L. H>L was interpreted that high context increased the item availability with its high articulation. CR>FR was interpreted as a result showing that orgarnization could occur at retrieval by means of subjective set. KR>CR and KR>FR were interpreted as a result showing that organization could occur at storage. It was observed that processing mechanisms at each stage are multi-ones. Different nature of organization was proposed between the stage of storage and retrieval; the former as a process where the item availability-gets increased, while the latter as a process where already available items become more accessible.