Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-112).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of this study was to develop and to test a paired-comparisons figural scale to measure preference for complexity. A Random Shapes Scale (RSS) consisting of 18 sets of 3 random shapes was constructed. In each set of 3, one shape was of high complexity, one of medium complexity and one of low complexity. The random shapes were chosen from the eleven hundred generated by Vanderplas. Two existing measures of preference for complexity, the Barron-Welsh Art Scale (BW) and the Revised Art Scale (RA) were also used. Students in architecture, art, education, law and engineering (N=292) were tested using the RSS. Three weeks later the same groups of students (N=184) were retested on the RSS and completed the BW and RA as well. The BW and RA were significantly correlated with the RSS in three of the five groups tested. The internal consistency of the RSS calculated over all groups combined was .66; the stability coefficient was .71. The analysis of variance showed significant differences among the five groups tested. Therefore the RSS does differentiate among groups on the dimension of preference for complexity. The majority of the items were highly correlated with total test scores. This indicates that the items are homogenous. The results of the statistical analyses lead to the conclusion that the RSS is a useful measure of a unitary dimension of preference for complexity. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Transfer in serial learning as a function of inter-list positional relations was examined in a serial to serial transfer paradigm. After learning a 16-adjective serial list to a criterion of two consecutive perfect recitations, 128 Ss, were given ten trials on a l6-adjective transfer task. There were four conditions of transfer defined by the positional relationship of Items between successive lists. First-, second-, and fourth-order derived list conditions and a control condition were used. Half of the experimental Ss were instructed as to the positional relationship between the lists while the remaining Ss were given no positional Information. The results indicated significant positive transfer in the DL₁ and DL₄ groups when compared to the control group. DL₂ performance was slightly superior to performance of the control group but this difference did not approach significance. Performance of instructed Ss was found to be significantly better than performance of non-instructed Ss. The instructions variable was not found to have a differential effect among conditions. The results were interpreted as being Incompatible with either the sequential or the ordinal-position hypothesis of serial learning, but as evidence in support of a relative ordinal-position hypothesis. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Retroactive inhibition (Ri) is the decrement in retention attributable to interpolated learning. The most common type of RI study is one in which a particular variable is manipulated in the acquisition phase of the experiment, and the loss of v/ords from an initially learned list is examined as a function of the manipulation. The literature on RI has been reviewed a number of times in the last several decades (i.e., Swen son, 1041; Slamecka and Ceraso, 19G0; and Keppel, 1963). Slamecka and Ceraso make use of the following classification for independent variables which have been investigated: 1) degree of acquisition; 2) similarity of materials; 3)cxtrinsic factors; and 4)temporal effects

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effect of different rest interval activities in distributed practice (DP) upon the rate of learning a PA task, to evaluate the effectiveness of different rest interval activities in controlling rehearsal, and to investigate the role of rehearsal in DP performance. Three experiments compared three different pairs of rest interval activities. One pair of activities, color naming (CN) and sequential addition (SA), was machine paced (MFA). A second pair, cartoon reading (CR) and symbol cancellation (SC), was self-paced (SPA). The third pair required no formal activity (NFA), Ss were instructed to rehearse (R) or not to rehearse (NR). Besides different rest interval activities two other independent variables were manipulated. The length of the intertrial period was set at either 30 or 60 seconds. Two lists differed in items but were constructed to be comparable. The dependent variables were the number of trials required to learn the list to a criterion of one perfect trial and the responses of Ss to a questionnaire on the amount and method of rehearsal. Ss were 240 college students. Data from the three experiments were analyzed separately by analysis of variance and then combined to make an overall comparison with analysis of variance with tasks considered as nested factors. After completing the paired associates (PA) task, each S was administered a questionnaire to determine if he had rehearsed and if so the amount, time, and method of rehearsal. Analysis of the data showed the ON, SA, CR, and SO produced no significant difference in rate of learning, nor did NR and R differ. Overall comparison showed that NR and R produced faster learning than the OR and SO. The analysis of the questionnaire showed that the different tasks varied in amount of control of rehearsal, but there were no differences in rate of learning related to amount of rehearsal reported. The conclusions drawn were that the facilitative affect of rehearsal is unproven, that requiring formal activity produces slower learning than having no formal rest interval task and that the SA should be used to nearly eliminate rehearsal.