Accession Number:

ADA349411

Title:

A Generation Advantage for Multiplication Skill and Nonword Vocabulary Acquisition.

Descriptive Note:

Annual rept. 1 May 91-30 Apr 92,

Corporate Author:

COLORADO UNIV AT BOULDER DEPT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Personal Author(s):

• McNamara, Danielle S.
• Healy, Alice F.

Report Date:

1998-07-01

Pagination or Media Count:

52.0

Abstract:

The generation effect is extended to skill learning and the acquisition and long-term retention of facts stored in semantic memory. In two experiments subjects were trained in either a read or generate condition. In Experiment 1, subjects performed simple and difficult multiplication problems. A generation advantage occurred only for the difficult problems. In Experiment 2, subjects learned to associate nonword vocabulary terms with common English nouns. A generation advantage occurred, and in both conditions subjects using mnemonic strategies showed superior performance. The results are explained in terms of a procedural account of the generation advantage, and the implications of this research are discussed for instructional applications.

Descriptors:

• *MEMORY(PSYCHOLOGY)
• *RETENTION(PSYCHOLOGY)
• *LEARNING
• SKILLS
• SEMANTICS
• TEACHING METHODS
• LONG RANGE(TIME)
• STIMULI
• INSTRUCTIONS
• READING
• RECALL
• MNEMONICS

Subject Categories:

• Psychology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE