Generation Advantage for Multiplication Skill and Nonword Vocabulary Acquisition

摘要

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.