The effects on induced passive rehearsal and the von Restorff phenomenon on the free recall of normals and retardates

Noninstitutionalized retardates and normal children of equal mental age (approximately 8 years) listened to 11 orders of 20 nouns with no instructions to overtly or covertly rehearse. All subjects were in each of three list conditions: (a) when all words were at the same decibel (dB) level, (b) when the 11th item was at a higher dB level, and (c) when the items were repeated at the same dB level using the rehearsal protocol of Rundus (1971). The normals' overall recall was superior to that of the retardates' recall. Repetition of items had no effect on the performance of either group except in the recency portion of the learning curve and on the initial trial for both groups and the fifth trial for the retarded group. The normal group was more susceptible to the yon Restorff effect than was the retarded group. These results were discussed in terms of the changing and different recall strategies of the two groups.