Learning as a Function of Word-Frequency

Abstract

The experimental work of Howes and Solomon has indicated a high inverse relationship between the frequency with which a word appears in the language (as indicated by the Thorndike-Lorge word count1) and the duration of time required for S to perceive it.2 In an effort to provide a more exact statement of this relationship, Solomon and Postman controlled frequency more precisely by having Ss read and pronounce different nonsense words with frequencies ranging from 1 to 25' The results indicated the same inverse relationship between the recognition thresholds and the frequency of prior usage. If the assumption is made that there is a relationship between perceptual threshold and learning as measured by a recall score (that those words perceived most rapidly are easiest to learn), words which appear with a high frequency in the language should be learned more readily than those of low frequency. Aside from this theoretical consideration, the relationship found between learning and word-frequency should be of value in the calibration, construction, and utilization of word-lists which are so frequently used in rote-learning experiments. It should be noted that an earlier study by Peters did not seem to support the existence of such a relationship.4 In one phase of a series of experiments, Peters constructed five different word lists, the words in each list being selected from the 2500 most frequently used words found in the Teacher's Word Book of 10,000 Words.' List I contained words with frequencies of 1 to 500, List II contained words with frequencies of 501-1000, List III contained words with frequencies of 1000-1500, and so forth. The Ss were then presented with these lists in a counterbalanced order. Recall scores obtained after one presentation indicated no significant differences between lists.