Abstract
Eighth-grade students of high and average IQ were administered 3 paired-associate lists of pictured items under mediation or control conditions. Mediation was manipulated by instructing Ss: (a) to repeat once a series of prearranged sentences, each of which contained stimulus and response terms in a given pair, during the initial presentation trial of List A; (b) to formulate their own sentences in the presentation trial preceding the learning of List B 1 day later; and (c) to remain silent prior to learning List C 2 wk. later. The number of trials to reach criterion was fewer under each of these conditions than simply learning the three lists under the customary paired-associate paradigm. While adolescent Ss may spontaneously employ implicit associative strategies, explicit examples and instruction apparently encourage them to do so sooner or more efficiently. The effect of IQ was significant, but there was no relationship between IQ level and mediational condition.