Humour mediates the facilitative effect of bizarreness in delayed recall

Authors: Worthen, James B.¹; Deschamps, Joseph D.¹

Source: British Journal of Psychology, Volume 99, Number 4, November 2008 , pp. 461-471(11)

Publisher: British Psychological Society

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Abstract:

The first empirical study focused exclusively on the influence of bizarre elaboration on memory (Delin, 1968) indicated a significant relationship between bizarreness and recall after a 15-week delay. However, that study was strongly criticized on methodological grounds. The present study offers a conceptual replication of Delin's historically significant study which sought to verify his influential, yet criticized, results and to test the possibility that a humour response mediates the relationship between bizarre elaboration and recall using multiple regression procedures. In keeping with Delin's findings, the results of the present study suggest that bizarre elaboration facilitates both free and cued recall after a substantial delay. The results also suggest that the facilitative effects of bizarreness are mediated by humour. The findings are discussed in the context of a comprehensive theory of bizarreness effects.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1348/000712608X298476

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana, USA

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