兒童語文習慣之複雜度與其聯對學習及學後保留關係之實驗研究

The Relationships between Verbal Complexity and Paired-Associate Learning and Retention in Elementary School Children

張春興(Chun-Hsing Chang) ； 郭生玉(Sheng-Yu Kuo)

《教育心理學報》 6期 (1973/06) Pp. 1-13

https://doi.org/10.6251/BEP.19730601.1

摘要

心理學者們研究有關「學習」問題時，多從兩個方向入手：其一是控制練習情境而後觀察測量個體行爲改變的情形；另一是根據因練習而業經改變過的行爲，停止練習後經過相當時間，觀察測量個體學得行爲的保留情形；前者屬於學習曆歷程的研究，後者屬於記憶的研究。假期研究的對象屬於同一個體，而且觀察測量者又屬於同一行爲，則儘管研究方向不同，而事實上所探討的乃是同一個問題；即個體行爲的建立（學習）及保留（記憶）的變化與練習情境的關係。假若我們能夠測量到個體因練習而在行爲上改變的量，而後又停止練習後相當時間測到個體該種得行爲保留的量，二者之著就是通常所說的貴遺忘。因此，我們可以說整個學習心理學所研究者不出學習、記憶、遺忘三方面的問題。從學習心理學發展的歷史看，往學者研究最多貢獻也最大的是學習歷程的研究，其次是記憶的研究。對於遺忘現象的産生，雖然早屬確認的事實，但性遺忘理論，卻一直缺如。此種現象足可說明遺忘問題的複雜性及其研究困難性。本研究擬先從歷史發展的過程敘述遺忘理論演變的情形，而後由之演繹出本研究之目的與假設。

並列摘要

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between verbal complexity and paired-associate learning and retention in elementary school children. The theoretical basis of the study was deduced from the current version of the interference theory proposed by Underwood and Postman. Based on this theory the following research hypothesis was tested: the children's verbal complexity would be negatively related to the speed of paired-associate learning and positively related to the speed of forgetting of learned material.
Procedure: the sample of 100 normal 4th and 5th grader were selected. The learning material consisted of 12 paired-associate verbal tasks (Unrelated Chinese Characters) with each pair printed on a 4″×6″ white card. The characters were known by Ss, and had been identified as having high associative values for elementary school children. Ss were trained to the criterion of two correct responses using the method of adjusted learning by which the effect of overlearning chould be controlled. Ss' verbal complexity was determined by the method of free recall. Long-term retention was measured, and the time intervals between termination of learning and retention tests were 1 day and 10 days.
Findings: The main findings of the study were: (1) The verbal complexity was positively correlated with the levels of intelligence. (2) The verbal complexity was negatively correlated with speed of learning, and positively correlated with speed of forgetting. (3) No difference between boys and girls in learning or retention was found.
Conclusions: Based on the evidence given herein the following conclusions were drawn:
(1) The hypothesis was not surpported and the conclusion was that complex verbal experience may not be necessary to produce proactive inhibition that interferes learning and retention. (2) Based on the concept of extraexperimental transfer proposed by Underwood, it could be hypothesized that the preexperimental associations might produce positive, rather than negative, transfer effect during learning and retention. This interpretation would be valid when single paired-associate technique, utilizing meaningful words is employed.