AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF STIMULUS AND RESPONSE MEANINGFULNESS IN VERBAL LEARNING

Abstract

An explanation of the relationship of meaningfulness of stimulus and response in verbal learning in terms of what occurs during the hook‐up phase was tested by means of an experiment using nonsense syllables and meaningful adjectives. Paired associates having either unfamiliar stimulus and meaningful response terms or the same elements in reverse order were given to the two groups of fifteen students, in fixed order with a four‐second interval. After six repetitions recall of the response terms was tested, then a recall of the stimulus elements. A record was made of the mediating associations used. Adjectives as response terms were recalled better than nonsense syllables, and these were not significantly different from either kind of stimulus element. A significantly greater number of mediating associations was used by the group learning meaningful responses. The implications of the findings for programmed learning are discussed.