Visual-verbal-paired associate learning (PAL) is strongly related to reading acquisition, possibly indexing a distinct cross-modal mechanism for learning letter-sound associations. We measured linguistic abilities (nonword repetition, vocabulary size) longitudinally at 3.5 and 4.0 years, and visual-verbal PAL and letter knowledge at 4.0 and…

A factor analysis of a test battery that included early first-language (L1) achievement, L1 cognitive ability, second-language (L2) aptitude, and L2 affective measures to predict oral and written L2 proficiency was conducted. The analysis yielded 4 factors that were labeled Language Analysis, composed of L1 and L2 language comprehension, grammar,…

This study examined the effects of three stimulus variables and background music on paired-associate learning of foreign language (FL) vocabulary. The stimulus variables were the frequency and concreteness of the native language (L1) words and the (phonotactical) typicality of the FL words. Sixty-four L1-FL pairs were presented for learning six…

We report two studies examining the relations among three paired-associate learning (PAL) tasks (visual-visual, verbal-verbal, and visual-verbal), phoneme deletion, and single-word and nonword reading ability. Correlations between the PAL tasks and reading were strongest for the visual-verbal task. Path analyses showed that both phoneme deletion…

Four experiments were performed, involving third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders as subjects. The results strongly suggested a close correspondence between direct and vicarious verbal learning principles and mechanisms. (GO)

A paired-associate task was given to 119 middle-class fourth and fifth graders to investigate the nature and development of mediational strategies in children's learning. Imagery and sentence mediators which linked the stimuli and responses of pictorial paired associates were either provided by an experimenter or generated by the children. While…

Individual differences in verbal ability measured by Verbal Scholastic Aptitude Test score and imagery ability measured by Betts' Questionnaire Upon Mental Imagery and Marks' Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire were determined for 189 college students. (Author)

Findings were that imagery instructions for picture pairs were generally more facilitative than imagery instructions for word pairs, with children at this age exhibiting little variability in their capacity to utilize a visual imagery strategy when pictures comprised the learning materials. (Authors)

Study was conducted with the purpose of analyzing individual differences in the use of organizing strategies and considering their relationship to performance involving short-term memory. (Author/CB)

Three paired-associate learning studies were designed to test the hypothesis that individual differences in learning speed are determined by the types of elaborative strategies used by learners during acquisition. Slow learners generate fewer elaborators and produce less effective elaborators, even when using the same strategy as fast learners.…

With the advance of computers, extensive work has been undertaken in the field of programmed instruction. Much effort has been invested to devise schemes of optimal instruction with respect to suitable criteria. Yet, what is needed is a theory which prescribes how learning can be improved, i.e., a theory of instruction. The present study is…

Adults learned the meanings of rare words (e.g., gloaming) and then made meaning judgments on pairs of words. The 1st word was a trained rare word, an untrained rare word, or an untrained familiar word. Event-related potentials distinguished trained rare words from both untrained rare and familiar words, first at 140 ms and again at 400-600 ms…

An investigation was undertaken to determine whether highly aroused (e.g. highly anxious) students are handicapped with regard to their ability to learn through deep processing and elaboration. The hypothesis that well-developed deep and elaborative habits of thought might counteract the disruptive effects that excessive arousal has upon students…