- Email: [email protected]
Effect of interitem similarity on free learning by children
448
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS
Effect of |nteritem Similarity on Free Learning by Children 1 SOL B. HECKELlVIAN AND NORMAN E. St'EAII
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 Free learning of word lists was tested in children from grades 2 to 6. Two different methods of measuring interitem associative strength were shown to improve immediate free recall more than comparable word lists distinguished by orthographic similarity; in turn, recall of each of these latter lists was better than comparable lists of unrelated words. Furthermore, it was determined that free learning is influenced by intralist similarity in much the same way at each grade (age) level. Apparently, the usefulness and impact of associative and orthographic relationships extend down to typical second grade students whose language habits have already largely taken shape.
Keppel (1964, p. 65) recently summarized, with respect to free learning: "The influence of interitem associative strength has not been investigated with c h i l d r e n . . , an .extension of this work to children, for whom interitem associations may be weaker, may produce results which differ from those obtained with college students." The present experiment measured the effects of two kinds of interitem similarity, associative (AS) and orthographic (OS), on free learning as a function of age in children. Elementary school grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 were chosen to define age level; it was expected that Ss from the lower grades would have the skills required for the free-learning task, but would not yet have acquired the more stable language habits of the higher grades. In view of Keppel's suggestion and certain data suggesting increasing growth in associative habits with increasing elementary school grade level (e.g., DiVesta, 1964), an interaction was predicted, with greater effect of interitem similarity the higher the grade level. This study was supported by NIMH Grant MH-10194 and by Grant 685 from the Rutgers University Research Council. The authors would like to thank the Superintendent of Schools of Franklin Township for his cooperation, and in particular the participating administrative staff, teachers, and students of the Hillcrest School, where this study was conducted. We also especially appreciate the assistance of Sandra B. Heckehnan in the preparation and analysis of data.
Method Subjects. There were 24 Ss from each of grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 from a public school near the university. Pupils there are drawn from all socioeconomic levels. Four different classes per grade were used; where five classes existed for a grade, the first four with a sufficient number of children with parental permission to participate were used. Six Ss were chosen per class, the only proviso being that they were at neither extreme of the class in general academic performance; otherwise, they were randomly selected. Each S received three lists, one of each kind, in a randomly predetermined order. Within each group of six, all six possible orders of AS-OS-U were used.
Materials. One set of lists (L1) was essentially the same as used in the two prior studies. This AS list consisted of words derived from Garskof, Houston, and Medniek's unpublished list of associates to "mutton" or "sheep" (Garskof and Houston, 1963). Mean interitem relatedness coefficient (RC) was .064, with individual interitem RCs ranging from .003 to .371. The other two lists were selected from Thorndike and Lorge's (1944) word count, with all three lists closely matched, word by word, for frequency, number of letters and syllables, and presentation order for corresponding words from each list. The OS list consisted of words all beginning with the letters st, while the U list was randomly chosen within the restrictions of frequency, etc., imposed by the AS and OS lists.
449
SUPPLEMENTARY R E P O R T S
In view of the different ways of defining associative relationships, a second set of AS-OS-U lists (L~) was derived on the basis of a slightly different index of AS. This also insured that results were not peculiar to a particular set of word lists. In this second set of lists, the Palermo-Jenkins (1963) norms for grade-school children were used for the AS list. These norms show the number of times a first associate was given to each of a set of stimulus words by 100 boys and 100 girls in each of several grades. For the present study, each associate appeaTing at least five times to a particular stimulus, for boys or girls, led to that stimulus and response being listed. From this initial list, a final list of 21 words was then derived; the criterion was that each word on the list bad to be related to at least two other words as a stimulus and/or response. A list of words each starting with the letters tr was then developed, with the lists closely matched for Thorndike-Lorge (1944) frequency, this time, however, based not on the overall (G) count, but on the juvenile (J) count. Also matched on an overall list basis were part of speech, and number of syllables and letters. Similarly, the U list was generated at random but restricted in terms of these criteria. Each of the six lists was composed of 21 words. Procedure. The Ss were tested individually. The E simultaneously pronounced and showed each word, written in lower case on a 5 )< 8-inch index card, to S. Presentation of each list took approximately 60 see. Standard instructions for immediate free recall were given. Recall period following presentation of each list was 2½ min, with a 2-min simple nonverbal task interpolated between recall and the following list. As a measure of rate of recall, E drew a line under the last word every 15 sec.
For each set of lists and grade, i.e., for 12 Ss (two classes) per grade, tested by one E, a second E tested another 12 Ss (two classes) for that grade. The presentation orders of the 12 different combinations of AS-OS-U with L1-L2 were chosen randomly, with a different random order for each E per grade. For each of L~ and L~, the six different orders of AS-OS-U were used equally often.
Results and Discussion. Since the E variable did not enter into reliable interaction with the similarity variable, data were combined across Es. A three-way analysis of variance including lists, grades, and similarity (L × G × Sire) revealed all three main effects, but only the L × G interaction, as reliable [G: F ( 3 , 88) = 9.43, p < .0005; Sire: F(2, 176) = 79.00, p < .0005; L: F(1, 88) ~- 7.34, p < .01; L X G: F(3, 88) ----3.63, p < .025; G X Sim: F(6, 176) ~--1.18, p > . 2 5 ; L ) < S i m : F < I ; L × G X S i m : F < 1]. Free-learning rate was higher the higher the grade level and for lists with greater interitem similarity. The t-tests of difference scores between each pair of list-types were highly reliable across all grades; for AS-U, AS-OS, OS-U, respectively, t : 12.54, 8.15, 4.24; t(95).ool --~ 3.40. Parallel analyses based only on the first list administered to each S revealed essentially identical relationships. The results with this analysis differed only in that the L variable no longer showed a main effect ( F < I ) , and the L × G interaction was barely reliable [F(3, 7 2 ) : 2 . 7 7 , p < .05]. Thus the relative effects of AS and OS were uniform over grade levels (see Table 1). Moreover, this consistency held over two different
TABLE 1 FREE RECALL OF 21-WORD LISTS WITH INTRALISTSIMILARITYVARIEDAS ASSOCIATIVE(AS),
ORTHOGRAPHIC (OS), OR UNRELATED(U) Data are combined across L1 and L~. Grades 2
3
4
6
List
2~
s
.~
s
)~
s
.Y
s
AS OS U
8.46 5.75 4.54
1.69 1.59 1.74
8.46 7.04 5.13
2.67 2.24 2.17
9.17 6.75 6.38
2.01 1.92 2.22
10.21 7.96 7.21
2.88 2.20 2.41
450
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS
kinds of similarity and two different ways of defining each type of similarity. The rate of free recall was also parallel over grade levels (see Fig. 1). The consistent differ-
i
GRADE 6
9.6
4 3 2
-r.c 0 1.1.1
>_
5£
I_J
5.0
o
o-r
I
.I
I
2
~
4
t
t
6
i
i
8
i
i
I0
15 SEC INTERVALS Fic. 1. Cumulative free recall of 21-word lists by successive 15-sec intervals for the 2~-min recall period. Data are combined across all lists. ences among grades, over time, and the typically negatively accelerating curves, are noteworthy. The reliable effect of G indicates that the variables measured ~eflect processes important in development o£ language habits. Associative and orthographic relationships in these habits are ira-
portant in immediate free recall as early as the second grade, and their relative effects apparently remain similar over at least several grades. Thus Keppel's (1964) suggestion that adult letter-language habits have been substantially acquired by second graders is supported. However, the implication (Keppe], 1964; Simon and Hess, 1965) that a greater effect of interitem associative similarity may be obtained at higher levels of elementary school age was not substantiated. REFEBENCES DIVEsTA, F. J. The distribution of modifiers used by children in a word-association task. 1. verb. Learn. verb. Behav., 1964, 3, 421-427. GAlaSXOF,B. E., AND HOUSTON, J. P. Measurement of verbal relatedness: An idiographie approach. Psychol. Rev., 1963, 70, 277-288. KEPPEL, G. Verbal learning in children. Psychol. Bull., 1964, 61, 68-80. PALERMO, D. S., AND JENgaNS, J. J. Free association responses to the prima~ responses of the Palermo-Jenkins word association norms for grade school children. Research Bull. No. 87. Dept. of Psycho]., The Penn. State Univer., 1963. Snv~oN, S., A~D HEss, J. L. Supplementary report: Influence of interitem associative strength upon immediate free recall in children. Psychol. Rep., 1965, 16, 451-455. THORND~E, E. L., ANO LOECE, I. The teacher's word book of 30,000 words. New York: Teachers College, Columbia Univer., 1944. (Received August 2, 1965)
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS
Effect of |nteritem Similarity on Free Learning by Children 1 SOL B. HECKELlVIAN AND NORMAN E. St'EAII
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 Free learning of word lists was tested in children from grades 2 to 6. Two different methods of measuring interitem associative strength were shown to improve immediate free recall more than comparable word lists distinguished by orthographic similarity; in turn, recall of each of these latter lists was better than comparable lists of unrelated words. Furthermore, it was determined that free learning is influenced by intralist similarity in much the same way at each grade (age) level. Apparently, the usefulness and impact of associative and orthographic relationships extend down to typical second grade students whose language habits have already largely taken shape.
Keppel (1964, p. 65) recently summarized, with respect to free learning: "The influence of interitem associative strength has not been investigated with c h i l d r e n . . , an .extension of this work to children, for whom interitem associations may be weaker, may produce results which differ from those obtained with college students." The present experiment measured the effects of two kinds of interitem similarity, associative (AS) and orthographic (OS), on free learning as a function of age in children. Elementary school grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 were chosen to define age level; it was expected that Ss from the lower grades would have the skills required for the free-learning task, but would not yet have acquired the more stable language habits of the higher grades. In view of Keppel's suggestion and certain data suggesting increasing growth in associative habits with increasing elementary school grade level (e.g., DiVesta, 1964), an interaction was predicted, with greater effect of interitem similarity the higher the grade level. This study was supported by NIMH Grant MH-10194 and by Grant 685 from the Rutgers University Research Council. The authors would like to thank the Superintendent of Schools of Franklin Township for his cooperation, and in particular the participating administrative staff, teachers, and students of the Hillcrest School, where this study was conducted. We also especially appreciate the assistance of Sandra B. Heckehnan in the preparation and analysis of data.
Method Subjects. There were 24 Ss from each of grades 2, 3, 4, and 6 from a public school near the university. Pupils there are drawn from all socioeconomic levels. Four different classes per grade were used; where five classes existed for a grade, the first four with a sufficient number of children with parental permission to participate were used. Six Ss were chosen per class, the only proviso being that they were at neither extreme of the class in general academic performance; otherwise, they were randomly selected. Each S received three lists, one of each kind, in a randomly predetermined order. Within each group of six, all six possible orders of AS-OS-U were used.
Materials. One set of lists (L1) was essentially the same as used in the two prior studies. This AS list consisted of words derived from Garskof, Houston, and Medniek's unpublished list of associates to "mutton" or "sheep" (Garskof and Houston, 1963). Mean interitem relatedness coefficient (RC) was .064, with individual interitem RCs ranging from .003 to .371. The other two lists were selected from Thorndike and Lorge's (1944) word count, with all three lists closely matched, word by word, for frequency, number of letters and syllables, and presentation order for corresponding words from each list. The OS list consisted of words all beginning with the letters st, while the U list was randomly chosen within the restrictions of frequency, etc., imposed by the AS and OS lists.
449
SUPPLEMENTARY R E P O R T S
In view of the different ways of defining associative relationships, a second set of AS-OS-U lists (L~) was derived on the basis of a slightly different index of AS. This also insured that results were not peculiar to a particular set of word lists. In this second set of lists, the Palermo-Jenkins (1963) norms for grade-school children were used for the AS list. These norms show the number of times a first associate was given to each of a set of stimulus words by 100 boys and 100 girls in each of several grades. For the present study, each associate appeaTing at least five times to a particular stimulus, for boys or girls, led to that stimulus and response being listed. From this initial list, a final list of 21 words was then derived; the criterion was that each word on the list bad to be related to at least two other words as a stimulus and/or response. A list of words each starting with the letters tr was then developed, with the lists closely matched for Thorndike-Lorge (1944) frequency, this time, however, based not on the overall (G) count, but on the juvenile (J) count. Also matched on an overall list basis were part of speech, and number of syllables and letters. Similarly, the U list was generated at random but restricted in terms of these criteria. Each of the six lists was composed of 21 words. Procedure. The Ss were tested individually. The E simultaneously pronounced and showed each word, written in lower case on a 5 )< 8-inch index card, to S. Presentation of each list took approximately 60 see. Standard instructions for immediate free recall were given. Recall period following presentation of each list was 2½ min, with a 2-min simple nonverbal task interpolated between recall and the following list. As a measure of rate of recall, E drew a line under the last word every 15 sec.
For each set of lists and grade, i.e., for 12 Ss (two classes) per grade, tested by one E, a second E tested another 12 Ss (two classes) for that grade. The presentation orders of the 12 different combinations of AS-OS-U with L1-L2 were chosen randomly, with a different random order for each E per grade. For each of L~ and L~, the six different orders of AS-OS-U were used equally often.
Results and Discussion. Since the E variable did not enter into reliable interaction with the similarity variable, data were combined across Es. A three-way analysis of variance including lists, grades, and similarity (L × G × Sire) revealed all three main effects, but only the L × G interaction, as reliable [G: F ( 3 , 88) = 9.43, p < .0005; Sire: F(2, 176) = 79.00, p < .0005; L: F(1, 88) ~- 7.34, p < .01; L X G: F(3, 88) ----3.63, p < .025; G X Sim: F(6, 176) ~--1.18, p > . 2 5 ; L ) < S i m : F < I ; L × G X S i m : F < 1]. Free-learning rate was higher the higher the grade level and for lists with greater interitem similarity. The t-tests of difference scores between each pair of list-types were highly reliable across all grades; for AS-U, AS-OS, OS-U, respectively, t : 12.54, 8.15, 4.24; t(95).ool --~ 3.40. Parallel analyses based only on the first list administered to each S revealed essentially identical relationships. The results with this analysis differed only in that the L variable no longer showed a main effect ( F < I ) , and the L × G interaction was barely reliable [F(3, 7 2 ) : 2 . 7 7 , p < .05]. Thus the relative effects of AS and OS were uniform over grade levels (see Table 1). Moreover, this consistency held over two different
TABLE 1 FREE RECALL OF 21-WORD LISTS WITH INTRALISTSIMILARITYVARIEDAS ASSOCIATIVE(AS),
ORTHOGRAPHIC (OS), OR UNRELATED(U) Data are combined across L1 and L~. Grades 2
3
4
6
List
2~
s
.~
s
)~
s
.Y
s
AS OS U
8.46 5.75 4.54
1.69 1.59 1.74
8.46 7.04 5.13
2.67 2.24 2.17
9.17 6.75 6.38
2.01 1.92 2.22
10.21 7.96 7.21
2.88 2.20 2.41
450
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS
kinds of similarity and two different ways of defining each type of similarity. The rate of free recall was also parallel over grade levels (see Fig. 1). The consistent differ-
i
GRADE 6
9.6
4 3 2
-r.c 0 1.1.1
>_
5£
I_J
5.0
o
o-r
I
.I
I
2
~
4
t
t
6
i
i
8
i
i
I0
15 SEC INTERVALS Fic. 1. Cumulative free recall of 21-word lists by successive 15-sec intervals for the 2~-min recall period. Data are combined across all lists. ences among grades, over time, and the typically negatively accelerating curves, are noteworthy. The reliable effect of G indicates that the variables measured ~eflect processes important in development o£ language habits. Associative and orthographic relationships in these habits are ira-
portant in immediate free recall as early as the second grade, and their relative effects apparently remain similar over at least several grades. Thus Keppel's (1964) suggestion that adult letter-language habits have been substantially acquired by second graders is supported. However, the implication (Keppe], 1964; Simon and Hess, 1965) that a greater effect of interitem associative similarity may be obtained at higher levels of elementary school age was not substantiated. REFEBENCES DIVEsTA, F. J. The distribution of modifiers used by children in a word-association task. 1. verb. Learn. verb. Behav., 1964, 3, 421-427. GAlaSXOF,B. E., AND HOUSTON, J. P. Measurement of verbal relatedness: An idiographie approach. Psychol. Rev., 1963, 70, 277-288. KEPPEL, G. Verbal learning in children. Psychol. Bull., 1964, 61, 68-80. PALERMO, D. S., AND JENgaNS, J. J. Free association responses to the prima~ responses of the Palermo-Jenkins word association norms for grade school children. Research Bull. No. 87. Dept. of Psycho]., The Penn. State Univer., 1963. Snv~oN, S., A~D HEss, J. L. Supplementary report: Influence of interitem associative strength upon immediate free recall in children. Psychol. Rep., 1965, 16, 451-455. THORND~E, E. L., ANO LOECE, I. The teacher's word book of 30,000 words. New York: Teachers College, Columbia Univer., 1944. (Received August 2, 1965)