Studies of learning to learn II. Changes in transfer as a function of practice

Abstract

Summary This study investigated changes in interlist transfer as a function of practice. Four paradigms of transfer were used, with lists of paired-associate adjectives as the learning materials: A-B, C-D (unrelated stimuli and unrelated responses); A-B, A-C (old stimuli and unrelated responses); A-B, A-Br (old stimuli and old responses re-paired), and A-B, A-B' (old stimuli and associatively related responses). A-B, C-D served as a reference paradigm for the evaluation of specific transfer effects under the other conditions. Each S learned three successive sets of lists conforming to a given paradigm. Speed of first-list learning increased at comparable rates under all conditions. The degree of improvement in second-list learning varied as a function of paradigm. The amount of positive transfer for Condition A-B increased as a function of practice, whereas the amount of negative transfer for Conditions A-C and A-Br declined. The increase in positive transfer was greater than were the reductions in negative transfer. The results indicate systematic changes in Ss' mode of attack on the transfer tasks.