Cognitive Structure Variables in Prose Learning

Abstract

Four experiments were performed to determine the relationship between knowledge of meanings for key terms and the acquisition of information from prose. In Experiment I knowledge of meanings significantly influenced prose learning. Control group performance indicated that meaning knowledge did not independently influence test performance. In Experiment II with different materials the same factor, knowledge of meaning, did not facilitate learning from prose as measured by a verbatim-type test. A conceptual measure, however, revealed a facilitative effect attributed to meaning knowledge. Differences in the results of the two experiments are discussed. Experiments III and IV were designed to investigate the discrepancies from the first experiments. Neither the number of unfamiliar key terms nor the ratio of terms to prose, but the ratio of terms to related discussion was a factor which interacted with knowledge of meanings in its effect on learning from prose.