Information transfer in 2-, 3-, and 4-word verbal discrimination

Sixty Naval Postgraduate School students served in a verbal discrimination (VD) experiment with 2-, 3-, and 4-word items and presentation rates per item of 1.5 or 3.0 seconds. Half the items had similar and half, dissimilar words. Based on information theory, lists of different lengths were prepared for 2-, 3-, and 4-word items. The lists were equated for overall load at 20 bits of information. Performance was consistent with the equal-load hypothesis and a differential of two in the amount of information transferred was observed because of the rate factor. Analysis of variance of correct responses revealed significant effects for item length, presentation time, similarity, and trials. http://archive.org/details/informationtrans1094515762 Lieutenant, United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.