Modality effect and immediate recall of logical memory in the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition.

Abstract

This study investigated the modality effect in a leading prose recall assessment tool. Participants were 60 college-educated adults from a northeastern metropolitan area. The Logical Memory I (LM I), an immediate recall subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition, was administered via auditory, visual, or combined simultaneous auditory-visual presentation. Auditory presentation resulted in superior recall of the terminal detail compared to visual presentation, but neither single-mode presentation differed significantly from combined auditory-visual presentation. The three presentation conditions resulted in comparable recall raw scores. Findings demonstrate the modality effect and indicate presentation modality does not affect the overall recall of the LM I prose passages.