Question

In a study described in your text some participants were asked to learn hierarchically organized words. Other participants were asked to learn the same words arranged randomly. All participants were later required to recall the words. In this study, the group learning the organized words was the _____ group

Answer 1

The group learning hierarchically organized words in the study represented the control group, highlighting the principle of semantic encoding where information is more easily recalled if it's organized meaningfully.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the study described, participants were asked to learn words that were either hierarchically organized or arranged randomly. Those who learned the hierarchically organized words were part of the control group, as they received structured information that potentially facilitated better memory encoding. This concept ties in with the theory of semantic encoding, which suggests that we recall information more easily when it has meaning or is organized in a way that makes sense to us.

Semantic encoding is one of the three types of encoding first demonstrated by William Bousfield (1935), where participants showed better recall for words when they were aware of their categorical meaning. This type of encoding is compared to visual and acoustic processing, with semantic processing often leading to deeper understanding and better memory retention. Indeed, semantic networks in our brains help us to link and organize information hierarchically or in meaningful groups, further supporting the effectiveness of hierarchical word organization in the study.