Directed forgetting has been studied by instructing Ss to forget either
(a) an initial list or (b) individually selected words. Differential encoding was
hypothesized to be responsible for word-method directed forgetting and
retrieval inhibition for list-method directed forgetting. In Experiments 1 and 2,
directed forgetting was observed in recognition with the word method but not
with the list method. Release form directed forgetting occurred in final recall
after recognition but only with the list method. These results are interpreted in
terms of a theoretical framework that integrates distinctive-relational
processing theory with revised generation-recognition theory. In Experiments
1-3, predictions from that framework were generally well supported on
implicit and explicit retention tests that provided the same stimulus conditions.
Consistent with processing theory, list-method directed forgetting was absent
on data-driven implicit tests.