Latency of Verbal Reproductions as a Variable in Vocal Paired-Associate Learning

Some CCVCs used by Smith and Koutstaal (1972) as stimuli in a paired-associate learning study resulted in noticeable delays in attempted vocalizations or subvocalizations. Latencies of vocalizations of CCVCs representing the four phonological categories of the stimuli were timed to determine whether a monotonic function would be obtained as for trials to criterion in the learning study. A markedly non-monotonic function resulted. Latency was rejected as a variable contributing to differences in trials to criterion for the paired-associate task. Practice effects were: (a) decrease in mean latencies for all categories, (b) reduction in range of correlations, and (c) an increase in mean correlations from .66 to .87 (N = 40).