Harris, Jason Peter (2011) Interrupted Reading Task and the Word Length Effect. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The current study examined the suitability of the Interrupted Reading Task (IRT) as an ecologically valid measure of short term memory (STM), and investigated the word length effect (WLE) under conditions which preclude item rehearsal, in an attempt to demonstrate that the WLE does not necessarily emerge as a trade-off outcome between rehearsal and decay within a phonologically based system of STM. The IRT involved participants reading aloud coherent passages of text, with critical sentences containing either short (one syllable) or long (two or more syllables) words preceded by an interruption point in which the text disappeared from screen. The number of short and long words correctly verbalised post-interruption were compared to investigate the WLE. Participants also completed the Digit Span (DS) and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) tasks as correlates of the IRT in order to estimate the construct validity of the IRT as a measure of STM. Output time on the IRT was measured to assess its concordance with previous estimates of STM output capacity limits. An incomplete repeated measures design was employed using a convenience sample of 15 participants, aged from 21 to 49 years (eight males, seven females), of various educational backgrounds. A large effect emerged between short and long words on the IRT (d = 4.32, p < .0005), with more short words output than long words, demonstrating an unambiguous WLE. Following the removal of one influential outlier, large correlation effects were observed between the IRT and LNS (r = .71, p = 002 [one-tailed]), and between the IRT and DS (r = .51, p = 032 [onetailed]). The mean output time on the IRT was 1.44 seconds. Together these results suggest that the IRT is a valid measure of STM, in which item rehearsal is logically precluded, and that the WLE can emerge when rehearsal is prevented. Therefore, in order to accommodate these findings, conceptualisations of STM must extend beyond simple phonological, or speech based, accounts that rely on trade-off outcomes between rehearsal and decay as an explanatory mechanism for the WLE.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Liam Hendry |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Oct 2025 02:21 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Oct 2025 02:21 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52388 |
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