Levels of processing, transfer-appropriate processing, and the concept of robust encoding

The theoretical status of levels of processing and its relation to the general principle of transfer-appropriate processing is discussed. One possible description of this relationship is that levels of processing has its effect by influencing the likelihood that the processing will prove to be transfer-appropriate. This transfer account of the levels effect is discussed in terms of the concept of robust encoding (Lockhart & Craik, 1990). Available evidence provides little support for any simple form of this concept, but a modified version is suggested as a possibility.