David P. Ausubel

Bio: David P. Ausubel is an academic researcher from University of Toronto. The author has contributed to research in topics: Facilitation & Verbal learning. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 51 citations.

Interference and inhibition in cognition: An historical perspective

Abstract: Part 1 Historical perspective: interference and inhibition in cognition - an historical perspective, F.N. Dempster. Part 2 Developmental perspectives: interference effects in memory and reasoning - a fuzzy-trace theory analysis, V.F. Reyna interference or facilitation in infant memory?, C. Rovee-Collier and K. Boller interference processes in memory development - the case of cognitive triage, C.J. Brainerd the evolution of inhibition mechanisms and their role in human cognition and behaviour, D.F. Bjorklund and K.K. Harnishfeger the development of cognitive inhibition - theories, definitions and research evidence, K.K. Harnishfeger. Part 3 Adult perspectives: selective attention and the inhibitory control of cognition, W.T. Neill et al memory interference and misinformation effects, A.L. Titcomb and V.F. Reyna skilled suppression, M.A. Gernsbacher catastrophic interference in neural networks - causes, solutions and data, S. Lewandowsky and S.-C. Li inhibitory processes in cognition and ageing, J.M. McDowd et al.

Effect of overlearning on retention.

Abstract: The effectiveness of overlearning in enhancing performance has been acknowledged by researchers within the training community for years. In spite of this general consensus, the empirical basis for this claim is often not clear. This article presents a meta-analysis of the effects of overlearning on retention. Results indicate that overlearning produces a significant effect on retention of moderate overall magnitude and that the effect of overlearning on retention is moderated by the degree of overlearning, type of task, and length of retention period

Interference and Inhibition in Cognition and Behavior: Unifying Themes for Educational Psychology

Abstract: In this article, we review modern work on interference and inhibition in cognition and behavior. We begin by briefly reviewing the historical and conceptual roots of this new body of work. Next we discuss five new theoretical frameworks that use the concepts of interference and inhibition to explain cognitive and behavioral phenomena. In the section that follows, we review evidence of individual and developmental differences in inhibition and susceptibility to interference in “at-risk” students. We then consider the implications of this new body of work for research on educational psychology by discussing six selected areas of research: intelligence, strategies, reading comprehension, logical and mathematical reasoning, self-regulated learning, and retention. In the next section, we explore four critical issues that pose significant challenges to research in inhibition and interference. Finally, we discuss the relevance of this work to educational practice by focusing on its implications for the curriculum and instruction. Throughout, our principal goal is to bring this new body of work to the attention of the readers of this journal and to show how it might be useful in guiding research and theory in educational psychology.

The facilitation of meaningful verbal learning in the classroom 1

Abstract: The assimilation theory of meaningful verbal learning and retention and the distinctions between rote and meaningful learning and between reception and discovery learning are reviewed in the light of some recent research on advance organizers, adjunct questions, and cognitive style. An attempt is made to reply to some of the frequently‐made criticisms of the author's research methodology in his studies of advance organizers and retroactive interference in meaningful prose learning and retention. Finally, an assessment is made of freedom of psychological inquiry in the United States and of equality of access to APA journals; and it is suggested that the neobehavioristic orientation in American school learning theory has been artificially kept alive by editorial bias on the part of APA journals, by neobehavioristic bias on the part of reviewers for research funding agencies, and by implicit pressures exerted on graduate students in educational psychology doctoral programs.

The Effect of Overlearning on Long-Term Retention

Abstract: Once material has been learned to a criterion of one perfect trial, further study within the same session constitutes overlearning. Although overlearning is a popular learning strategy, its effect on long-term retention is unclear. In two experiments presented here, 218 college students learned geography facts (Experiment 1) or word definitions (Experiment 2). The degree of learning was manipulated and measured via multiple test-with-feedback trials, and participants returned for a final cued recall test between one and nine weeks later. The overlearners recalled far more than the low learners at the one-week test, but this difference decreased dramatically thereafter. These data suggest that overlearning (and its concomitant demand for additional study time) is an inefficient strategy for learning material for meaningfully long periods of time.