Abstract

The experiment examined the covariation of the event-frequency judgment and free recall response as a function of subject's school grade, gender, and test delay. Subjects were shown a series of animal names, one on each slide, and were then asked both to recall them and to estimate the frequency occurred (0, 1, 3, or 5 times). Half of the subjects had the free-recall test first, the other half the frequency-Judgment test first. The varibles of school grade (6th, 10th, and college students) and test delay (0, 1, or 7 days) produced similar results for free recall and frequency judgment; in general, the poorest performance was by the 6th grade students, the best performance was by the 10th grade students, and, as test delay being extended, performance was declined. The increment in frequency-judgment response from 6th graders to older subjects was the most significant result, presumably not reported previously. A variety of other effects and interactions were also found. The theoretical significance of the results were discussed with particular reference to its implications for the hypothesis that frequency judgment response would be automatic cognitive process.