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Abstract

Wordlist recall was investigated comparing participants with rapidly changing local contextual cues to those with relatively stable cues. The word lists were presented on a standard computer screen. The level of cue change was manipulated using a multi-user virtual environment in which one group of participants moved through the series of stimuli while participants in the second condition remained in one location. Participants viewing words with changing contextual cues recalled more words than those whose words were presented with an unchanging background (Stationary (M = 7.57, SD = 3.18), Changing (M = 10.42, SD = 2.82), F(1,26)=6.33, p = .02). The findings are congruent with traditional memory studies in which environmental cues were changed by presenting stimuli in different rooms for learning and recall.

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