To test two competing paradigms of the arousal-learning relationship--(1) increases in subject arousal will lead to increased learning in all but extreme cases of excitation, and (2) high subject arousal yields poor immediate memory but high ultimate memory--92 college students were presented with a tape recorded message in varying classroom environments of low predecrement (prestimulus) and high predecrement and postdecrement arousal. Students were then tested for either recall or recognition at 2-minute, 20-minute, and 1-week intervals. Consistent with laboratory findings, high predecrement arousal significantly facilitated both immediate and delayed recall and recognition. Inconsistent with laboratory findings, however, high postdecrement arousal did not significantly interact with the time of measurement to affect learning. Theories of recall were not supported by similar recall and recognition patterns in either situations. (Author/MM)