Final answer:
In an experiment by Craik and Tulving, participants processed words at different levels (visual, acoustic, and semantic) and were later tested on their memory. The experiment showed that semantic processing resulted in the best memory of verbal information, supporting the idea of multiple memory systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the experiment conducted by Craik and Tulving (1975), participants were given words and asked questions about them that required processing the words at one of three levels: visual, acoustic, or semantic. The visual processing questions focused on the font of the letters, the acoustic processing questions focused on the sound or rhyming of the words, and the semantic processing questions focused on the meaning of the words. Afterward, participants were tested on their recall or recognition of the words.
The experiment showed that semantic processing resulted in the best memory of verbal information. Participants who processed words at a semantic level had higher recall and recognition accuracy compared to those who processed words at visual or acoustic levels. This suggests that encoding information based on its meaning enhances memory performance.
Overall, the experiment provided biological evidence for the existence of multiple memory systems and the importance of semantic encoding in episodic memory.