Psychology students find that, when they can repeat material, their memories are, paradoxically, poorer than when they are prevented from repeating the material. The paradox is explained by the depth of processing approach to memory which maintains that long-term retention depends on how elaborately the information is processed. (RM)

Available experimental evidence is reviewed concerning the keyword method, a two-stage procedure for remembering materials having an associative component. The review examines subjects' memory for definitions, given vocabulary words; subjects' learning of other aspects of vocabulary, given definitions; group-administered keyword studies; and…

Examines the effectiveness of the keyword method to improve children's learning of states and their capitals. Twenty-two children in a combined fourth- and fifth- grade classroom took part in this study. (MP)

In 2 experiments, college students read a historical passage on aspects of human intelligence. Students were randomly assigned to 2 different instructional conditions to process the passage, mnemonic and free study. Mnemonic participants remembered more names and contributions than did free-study participants. Findings illustrate that mnemonic…

Interviewed students about their experiences preparing for final university examinations. Analyzed processes of learning used during review, and in particular, the ways in which understanding and memorizing were described. Found that one recurring aspect of the review process involved the creation of "knowledge objects"--tightly structured,…

This study with 16 adolescents with mental retardation compared free-recall rates under two encoding conditions: (1) fade-in, initially presenting pictures out of focus then slowly fading them into focus; and (2) fade-out, slowly blurring originally clear pictures. Results indicated that free-recall rates were greater for the fade-in items for…

The hand computer, which combines word cards with a repetition system, has yielded positive results for memorizing words in foreign language learning. This system is superior to memorizing lists and is flexible in terms of both contents and type of learner. (Contains 34 references.) (JP)

In four experiments the behavioral consequences of an involuntary attentional distraction concerning memory performance was investigated. The working memory model of Cowan (1995) predicts a performance deficit for memory representations that are held in an active state when the focus of attention is distracted by a change in physical properties.…

This study investigated whether and how visual representations of individual objects are bound in memory to scene context. Participants viewed a series of naturalistic scenes, and memory for the visual form of a target object in each scene was examined in a 2-alternative forced-choice test, with the distractor object either a different object…

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show inconsistent use of grammatical morphology. Children who are developing language typically also show a period during which they produce grammatical morphemes inconsistently. Various theories claim that both young typically developing children and children with SLI achieve correct production…

This paper evaluates associative theories of sentence memory, based on the model of J.R. Anderson and G.H. Bower. A model of Human Associative Memory (HAM) is generalized and defined, and alternative models incorporating configural information are presented. (CK)

As an aid to contemporary research, this paper examines historical ideas about young children's use of strategies for memorization and the transfer of such strategies to different contexts. Discussion focuses on (1) current approaches to inducing transfer of strategies; (2) Thorndike and Woodworth's concept of identical elements; (3) Gestalt…

Melodic memory appears to be founded on building blocks that are memorized in terms of style-specific ordering rules, melodic prototypes, and memory strategies. Ordering rules concern musical form and construction, while melodic strategies involve sequences of several notes. This paper reports on research studies undertaken to test these concepts…

Two studies were conducted to test incentive magnitude effects on free recall. Fifth and eighth graders and college adults were tested in conditions in which they were instructed to either rehearse overtly or engage in a counting task prior to the experiment. Results support theories emphasizing rehearsal as a mediator of incentive level effects…

TWO GROUPS OF SUBJECTS, DESIGNATED PACED AND UNPACED, WERE USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER SELF-PACING IS ADVANTAGEOUS OR NECESSARY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT TECHNIQUES OF MEMORIZING. EACH GROUP LEARNED 8 LISTS OF 25 WORDS EACH, 2 LISTS PER SESSION. AT THE FIFTH SESSION, THE PACED GROUP LEARNED TWO ADDITIONAL LISTS UNDER SELF-PACED CONDITIONS.…