On Arabic abstract and concrete words recall using cued recall paradigms: is it abstractness, concreteness, or zero effect?

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to see whether abstract or concrete words are better recalled in cued recall type and to measure forward and backward displayed factors in cued recall. 9 undergraduates in King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, participated in this study where they were trained to differentiate between abstract and concrete words. A list of 20 Arabic abstract and concrete words was then given to them to be classified into abstract and concrete words based on four factors: concreteness, imageability, meaningfulness and age of acquisition. An observation sheet was provided to the experiment administrator to document the observed recall effects and recalled words. Three methods were used to facilitate this experiment: auditory, visual and writing methods. The sheets were designed to measure both forward and backward recall factors