THE TOTAL-TIME HYPOTHESIS IN VERBAL LEARNING

THE TOTAL-TIME HYPOTHESIS STATES THAT A FIXED AMOUNT OF TIME IS NECESSARY TO LEARN A FIXED AMOUNT OF MATERIAL REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL TRIALS INTO WHICH THAT TIME IS DIVIDED. THE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE HYPOTHESIS CAN BE EXPECTED TO HOLD WHENEVER TASK REQUIREMENTS DO NOT EXCEED SIMPLE REHEARSAL, AND WHENEVER EFFECTIVE TIME, THE TIME DURING WHICH REHEARSAL IS ACTUALLY EVOKED, BEARS A POSITIVE LINEAR RELATIONSHIP TO NOMINAL TIME. THE TOTAL-TIME RELATIONSHIP, WITH A DISTINCTION BETWEEN NOMINAL AND EFFECTIVE TIME, PROVIDES PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATIONS OF BOTH THE RESULTS OF PROMPTING AND CONFIRMATION STUDIES AND THE VON RESTORFF EFFECT. (2 P. REF.)