Retarded, Normal, and Superior Subjects' Learning of Paired Associates by Whole and Parts Methods

Abstract

Retarded, normal, and superior Ss used whole-, pure-parts, and progressive-parts methods in learning CVC trigram-numeral pairs. Groups equated for MA did not differ in rote learning; groups equated for CA did differ: the superior group exceeded the others and the normal group exceeded the retarded. The groups did not react differentially to the three methods. In all groups, Ss using the whole-method responded most adequately while those using the pure- and progressive-parts-methods responded with similar adequacy to the learning task.