Recognition failure of recallable words: Exception due to poor integration

The phenomenon of recognition failure of recallable words shows a remarkable regularity across a wide variety of experimental conditions. A quadratric function, referred to as the Tulving-Wiseman function, summarizes this regularity. A few cases of deviation from this function have been identified and classified into two categories of exceptions to this function. An experiment was designed to deal with one of these categories, namely the exception that occurs because of poor integration between cue and target information of studied word pairs. An index based on confidence ratings of recall responses was developed to assess variability in integration. Poor integration was demonstrated especially for one presentation of low associative word pairs, and significant deviations from the function was obtained for this condition. Hintzman's (1991, 1992) hypothesis about mathematical constraints of the Tulving-Wiseman function was discussed and refuted. Finally, an interpretation of negative deviations from the Tulving-Wiseman function was proposed.