Frequency and coding responses in verbal discrimination learning.

Ss were given a verbal discrimination task where correct and incorrect stimuli appeared in one, two. or four different pairs in a within-Ss design. For a group tested with the usual anticipation procedure, correct repetitions helped and incorrect repetitions hurt performance. The pattern of results suggested that frequency is a salient cue in verbal discrimination learning but that coding or paired-associate processing may occur at the same time. Data from a second group of Ss for which frequency was a less salient cue gave more direct evidence for coding.