Consequences of rigid and flexible learning

Abstract

Three experiments examined the consequences of learning material in rigid and flexible contexts. In Experiment 1, subjects studied and recalled a list of words in serial order. The subjects in one condition received the words in the same order for three trials, while subjects in the second condition received the words in a different random order on each trial. On the final trial, all subjects were required to study and recall the words in a new order. Although the rigid group showed better serial recall on the third trial, the flexible group was better on the final trial. Experiment 2 replicated these results with a new set of words. Experiment 3 used the same procedure but introduced a completely new set of words on the fourth trial. Similar results were again obtained. Taken together, these experiments suggest that studying material in a rigid context can restrict the flexibility of both learning and retrieval strategies.