Note-taking is ubiquitous. Whether we write down a grocery list, type our intentions for the day, or record a voice note for a friend, we often use notes to externalize our thoughts. We “delegate” this information to “in the world” extensions of our cognition, thus lightening our cognitive loads. The current thesis investigates the effects of note-taking as a form of cognitive offloading in an applied research setting. The note-taking literature is fragmented regarding practical note-taking recommendations for educators. The current thesis advances our knowledge and understanding of the crossover between cognitive offloading, note-taking, and individual differences. The laboratory research presented in this thesis uses novel materials that mimic the classroom environment, with future goals of translating this research into the actual classroom. Chapter 2 explores note-taking from a cognitive offloading perspective and demonstrates how differences in note-taking quantity affect recall. Chapter 3 showcases how differences in learning between note-taking modalities are seen sporadically and only when they intersect with the type of test. Chapter 4 investigates the importance of individual differences (e.g., working memory capacity) when exploring cognitive offloading and note-taking, and demonstrates how surface findings are not generalizable once we investigate underlying individual differences. While our research started as a way to understand how we offload information via note-taking and its effects on learning, we hope our findings and general discussion encourage the reader to explore the generalizability of applied cognitive research. Note-taking is a complex process, and our future work aims to investigate how learners differ and how we might disseminate research in education to be inclusive and diverse. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Imagine a world without technology or external resources to express your thoughts: no “to-do” lists, calendar reminders, sketches, or notes. Since our memory capacities are limited, we often maintain a record of information “in the world”, as opposed to only using our limited memory stores. This form of mental delegation is known as “cognitive offloading”. One way we offload information for future access is through note-taking. In an educational setting, note-taking influences our ability to learn and review information. How we take notes, and their effects on learning, have been debated in the literature. This thesis explores the impact of cognitive offloading and note-taking on learning, and demonstrates the importance of exploring individual differences (e.g., memory capacity and note-taking preference) in applied educational research. Throughout this thesis, we prompt our audience to frame note-taking and cognitive research takeaways through an inclusive educational lens.

本研究以理學院大學數學學科能力測驗成績在7級分以上的女大學生49名作為研究對象，操弄兩種刻板印象：『女性的數學較差』與『理學院的學生數學能力較好』，結合『刻板印象威脅』與『刻板印象提升』的概念，探討一個同時具有正負向刻板印象的當事人，當被激發不同所屬團體認同（性別/科目），對於受試者工作表現、工作選擇與自我能力評估的影響，並驗證考試焦慮與工作記憶容量作為刻板印象效果的中介變項之可能性。 本研究為單因子設計，獨變項『不同認同團體激發』有三組：性別認同組、理學院認同組、控制組。依變項則有8項指標：工作記憶容量測驗分數、數學測驗分數、考試焦慮量表分數、考試焦慮生理測量、數學測驗選擇難度、數學測驗難度評估、自我評估數學能力、刻板印象相信程度。 研究結果發現，當受試者被激發理學院認同時，他們的確會受到刻板印象提升效果的影響，造成工作記憶容量上升，但當受試者被激發性別認同時，他們在工作記憶容量測驗上的表現和控制組的受試者並沒有差異，亦即，刻板印象威脅效果沒有顯現。而接受到不同認同團體激發的受試者，儘管在自陳式考試焦慮量表上並沒有顯現出差異，然而在脈搏測量上則顯現出組間差異。 另外，在『測驗難度選擇』方面，本研究發現理學院認同組的受試者較其他組受試者會選擇較困難的作業。然而，在『數學能力測驗難度評估』、『對自己能力的評估』、『刻板印象的相信程度』這三方面，不同組的受試者則沒有顯現出差異。而本研究所提出的刻板印象效果之中介機制，並未在本實驗中得到支持。最後，研究者除了對上述結果進行討論之外，亦提出本研究的限制以及對未來研究的建議。

本文研究的主要目的為研究學習行為與智能的相關性，採經驗加權吸引模型(Experience-Weighted Attraction)來描述受測者在選美競賽賽局(Beauty Contest Game)實驗下的決策及行為，不單只選擇強化學習或信念學習模型，其理由為經驗加權吸引模型綜合了以上兩個學習的特點；在智能的部分，本文以實驗所得的工作記憶能力(Working Memory Capacity)分數的高低，來代表智能高低。 　　從研究結果發現，智能高與低兩類受測者的初始吸引分配，皆與其在第一期的選擇類似，而低智能的受測者在初始吸引部分，所估計的分配結果會與第一期之後期間的分配較不相似，這可能代表著低智能的受測者對於類似賽局實驗以及此實驗的分析或想像較差；在ψ的參數估計上，由於低智能的初始吸引與最後一期猜測的分配較不相似，以理論來說會遞減較快，也就是說會小於高智能所估計的結果，而真實的估計結果也顯示如此，此外，ψ的估計結果，也表示低智能受測者，對於之前吸引遞減較快，遺忘地較快。本文在δ的部分，高智能的受測者明顯地大於低智能的受測者，這表示高智能的受測者，對於失去的報酬比較敏感，會較關心沒有選擇到的數字所能得到的報酬，本文認為此結果可能隱含高智能受測者的認知階層較高。在受測者對於吸引敏感度λ的參數部分，本研究發現，此兩類受測者並無太大差異，也就是此兩類受測者對於吸引的變動，敏感度差距不大，也就代表影響人們對於吸引敏感度的原因，可能不是來自於智商高低。由本文的實證結果，可以發現學習行為與智能的相關性，因此本文建議在往後與學習行為有關的研究上，也許可以納入智能為主要研究探討的核心。 / The purpose of this paper is to explore possible relationships between individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) and behavioral heterogeneity revealed in a repeated beauty contest experiment. We use ‘experience-weighted attraction’ (EWA) learning, to describe the decision-making and learning behavior of subjects in the beauty contest game (BCG) experiment. In the intelligence section, the level of the experiment from the working memory capacity score, to represent the intelligence high or low. We found high and low intelligent of the subject's initial attract allocated all its similar to the first period choice. In parameter estimation of ψ, due to the initial attraction of low intelligence subject is less similar to the choice of the following periods. According to theory,ψ of the low intelligence subjects will decrease faster, and the estimate of the results also show that. In addition, part of δ, high intelligence subjects was larger than the low intelligent subjects, which means that subjects of high intelligence, more sensitive to lost revenue. We think that may be implied the higher intelligent subjects are higher cognitive hierarchy. The sensitivity of players to attractions λ, we found that these two types of intelligent is not much difference. This means that the impact of the sensitivity of players to attractions, may not be from the intelligent level. By the empirical results, we can find the relationship between behavioral heterogeneity and intelligence, so we suggests that it may be incorporated into the intelligent as the main research.

It is well established that repeated testing is more beneficial for durable learning than repeated studying of the same material, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. This study sought to investigate the role of working memory capacity (WMC) in relation to the learning process and the difficulty of the material to be learned when using a test-enhanced learning method. As between subject manipulation, participants (n = 99, M = 25.62 years of age) were divided into two groups, one using repeated studying and one using alternated testing and studying. A material of two difficulty levels, as well as immediate and delayed retention tests, was used in each condition as within subject manipulation. Further, an n-back task was used to measure WMC. Results from mixed model ANOVAs showed no significant impact of WMC on either the learning process or retention in relation to the difficulty of the material. The testing condition performed significantly higher than the studying condition on the retention tests. The testing effect is further cemented as a promising method for practical application in the educational sector regardless of both WMC and difficulty level. / Det är väl etablerat att upprepad testning är mer fördelaktigt för hållbar inlärning än upprepad instudering av samma material, ett fenomen känt som testeffekten. Denna studie ämnade undersöka arbetsminnets roll i relation till inlärningsprocessen och svårighetsgrad av material med testbaserat lärande som metod. Som mellangruppsmanipulation delades deltagare (n = 99, M = 25.62 år gamla) in i två grupper, en som upprepade gånger studerade materialet och en som alternerade studerande med tester. Ett material med två svårighetsgrader och ett direkt samt fördröjda retentionstester användes som inomgruppsmanipulation. Vidare användes ett n-backtest som mått på arbetsminneskapacitet. Resultat visade ingen signifikant inverkan av arbetsminne på varken inlärningsprocessen eller retention i relation till svårighetsgrad av material. Testbetingelsen presterade signifikant högre på retentionstest än studiebetingelsen. Testeffekten fastställs ytterligare som lovande metodik för praktisk applikation i utbildningssektorn oberoende av både arbetsminneskapacitet och svårighetsgrad.

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Text in English / Abstracts in Afrikaans and English / Ekspressiewe skryfwerk (ES) – as ‘n metode van intervensie gemik op fisiese en geesteswelstand van deelnemers – word reeds vir ongeveer drie dekades ondersoek. Klein en Boals beweer met hul 2001-studie dat ES ook ‘n positiewe invloed uitoefen op die werkende geheue van individue. Met die huidige studie word die vraag of hierdie bevinding ook van toepassing is op adolessente en jong volwassenes van Suidelike Afrika ondersoek. Dié projek betrek aanvanklik skoolleerders (N = 44) en eerstejaar universiteitstudente (N = 83) in die Suid-Kaap en met die skryfoefeninge word ‘n komponent bygevoeg by een van die eksperimentele groepe waar kognitiewe insette saam met die emosionele onthulling verlang word. Die studie-resultate toon heelwat teenstrydighede, dog die positiewe invloed van ES op die werkspan word by ‘n goeie aantal eksperimentele groep deelnemers waargeneem. Vorige navorsing dui op ‘n verlaging in die voorkoms van indringer- en vermydingsgedagtes na ES tesame met verbeterde werkspan en hierdie verband word van nader beskou deur die huidige studie. Die moontlikheid dat woordtelling per minuut as informele meting van werkspan aanvaar kan word, sowel as die moontlike verband tussen gemoedsvlak en skryfkondisie word ook met die projek ondersoek. / During the past three decades expressive writing has been in the research spotlight as an effective method of intervention in the improvement of human well-being. In 2001 a study done by Klein and Boals claimed that expressive writing also has a positive influence on the working memory of the student participants. The current study investigates the influence of expressive writing on adolescents and young adults in the Southern Africa context. Solution-focused exercises, together with emotional expression during the writing sessions, add a cognitive component to the intervention which strive to create greater impact on working memory capacity (WMC). Previous research indicate that improvement in WMC goes hand in hand with the reduction in the prevalence of intrusive and avoidant thoughts. During the current project the relationship between working memory and these thoughts is investigated. Additionally the possibility of word count as informal measure for WMC are looked at as well as a possible association between mood level and writing condition. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)