A selective review of the literature on self-instructional devices is presented, with emphasis on those studies which provide for a functional analysis of such devices. Three major classes of variables which influence the effectiveness of learning by means of self-instructional devices are: characteristic6 of the device, characteristics of the program, and charac?teristics of the learner.nMajor attention is devoted to an analysis of the process of programming, or the arrangement of the materials to be learned in proper sequence which maximizes rate of learning and degree of retention. Discussion is focused on a number of variables of which the effectiveness of the process of pro-gramming might be a function. Some of these variables have not yet been subjected to experimental analysis. A working model is presented, based upon the familiar processes of conditioning.
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