Abstract
This study examined whether specific relevance instructions affect transfer appropriate processing. Undergraduates (n = 52) were randomly assigned to one of three pre-reading question conditions that asked them what-questions, why-questions, or to read for understanding (i.e., control condition). There were no differences in reading time across conditions for sentences targeted by the pre-reading questions. There were three main findings with respect to cued recall. First, participants in the experimental conditions did better on questions that had greater similarity to relevance instructions than questions that had lesser similarity to relevance instructions. Second, participants in the experimental conditions did better on questions that had greater similarity to relevance instructions than the participants in the other conditions on those same questions. Third, participants in the control condition recalled equal amounts of information for both question. The results suggest that specific relevance instructions promote transfer appropriate processing and affect the quality of memory for text.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Exotic countries
All around the world, there are small, remote countries that few people have ever heard of. These small countries live their own quiet life in the shadow of larger nations. Among these lesser known countries, there are some very interesting countries with unique qualities. In the following text, three such countries are introduced: Pitcairn, Andorra, and Brunei.
Pitcairn is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is about 3,100 miles east of New Zealand. Pitcairn is a volcano by origin. It rises more than a quarter of a mile above sea level. The overall area of Pitcairn is only about three square miles. Pitcairn’s yearly precipitation is high, about 90 inches. Pitcairn’s climate is mild and the average temperature is around 70°F. In 1790, rebels of the British warship Bounty settled in Pitcairn. Twelve Tahitian women accompanied them onboard. The island was so remote that another European ship did not pass by it for 18 years. Today, Pitcairn is a British colony, which has autonomous status.
Pitcairn’s population earns its living from cattle, fishing, and agriculture. Sweet potatoes, sugar-cane and a variety of fruits and vegetables are grown on the island. Pitcairn does not have a good transportation system. There is no airport harbor on the island. The only way to get to Pitcairn is to take a boat from Tahiti to the outer waters surrounding Pitcairn. Then you must row from the surrounding waters to the island, provided that the weather is good. Due to its bad connections, all mail to the island takes about 6 months. In Pitcairn, there are 60 inhabitants. All of the inhabitants live in a small village named Adamstown. The islanders are descendants of the British rebels who settled the island. The people of Pitcairn live in accordance with a set of fairly strict rules. For example, every inhabitant between 16 and 60 years of age has to take part in public service of some sort. The population of the island varies somewhat, because the youngsters need to move to another island to attend school. As a British colony, English is spoken in Pitcairn, which is also its official language.
Andorra is a small mountainous country. It is located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. Its landscape consists of rugged mountains and deep gorges and valleys. Andorra’s climate also is characterized by ample precipitation throughout the year. The yearly rainfall can even exceed 90 inches. In the winter, this leads to a long-lasting snow cover. Many of the mountain-passes between Andorra and France can be cut off by snow. Andorra is a monarchy with a prince or princess. It has maintained its independence mostly because the remote upper valleys of the Pyrenees have very little strategic or economic significance. The Spanish bishop of Urgel and the president of France jointly secure the territorial integrity of Andorra. The legislative power in Andorra is held by the 28-member parliament. Most inhabitants of Andorra do not pay taxes at all. The state revenue consists of tourism, export of electricity, and publication of postal stamps. An estimated 9 million tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra’s tax-free status and by its summer and winter resorts. This small country is also planning to strengthen its banking business to speed up its development as a tax haven. Andorra does not have an airport or railways. All traffic is routed to the main highway, which passes through the country. Spanish is spoken in Andorra. However, the official language is Catalan. The population of Andorra is about 65,000. Population growth has approached 7% in some years due to immigration. To become a citizen of Andorra, the person needs to be a third-generation immigrant.
Brunei is located in Southeast Asia. It borders Malaysia and the South China Sea. Its flat coastal plain rises to the mountains in the east and is hilly lowland to the west. In the lowland, the typical type of vegetation is rainforest, whereas the mountains are mostly covered with alpine trees. The climate of Brunei is tropical. Throughout the year it is hot and very humid. Heavy rainfall is also quite common. From the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries, Brunei was a prosperous country. Then Brunei entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. In Brunei, crude oil and natural gas production account for nearly half of the economy. Per capita income is far above most other developing countries. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing. Plans for the future include upgrading the labor force, reducing unemployment, strengthening the banking and tourist sectors. Brunei has several ports and harbors along its coastline. It also has an airport with a paved runway and three helicopter ports. There are 365,000 people living in Brunei. Most of the people are Malaysian although there is a large Chinese population. The official language is Malaysian. English and Chinese are spoken by a many of the inhabitants. The population is growing at a rate of about 2% per year.
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McCrudden, M.T. Do specific relevance instructions promote transfer appropriate processing?. Instr Sci 39, 865–879 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-010-9158-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-010-9158-x