After reviewing several definitions of field research, an expanded framework for conceptualizing field research is presented. Three theoretically independent dimensions commonly used in field designs-natural behavior, natural setting, and natural treatment-are defined and exemplified. Advantages of combining all three dimensions in research include the discovery of new empirical laws and increased internal and external validity. Empirical examples are given that illustrate how naturalistic dimensions can be implemented in many settings, both laboratory and field, often without loss of experimental control.

Manipulation of the context in a short-term memory paradigm produces changes in the ability to recognize the same material from long-term memory 24 hr. later. If immediate recall is accurate, later recognition is improved if this recall is conducted with the same context as occurred at learning. If immediate recall is completely inaccurate, later recognition is improved if this recall is conducted with different context than was present at learning. Short-term recall did not need to be accurate to transfer the learned nonsense trigrams to long-term memory. Manipulation of context 24 hr. after learning had no effect on recognition. Results are discussed in terms of the Waugh and Norman memory model, Tulving's encoding specificity hypothesis, and interference theory.

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