Hulme_Transitions Hub

processing would both take longer for participants to do, and would ensure better recall. Both of these hypotheses were supported, and Craik and Tulving (1975) concluded that memory is improved when we engage in more elaborative processing . By elaborative processing, they meant that participants were thinking about the meaning of the word, and making links to other knowledge about that word. Elaborative processing The finding that people remember better when they engage in elaborative processing is consistent, and has since been found in a multitude of other studies. The theory is that elaborative processing makes it more likely that information will be transferred from short-term to long-term memory, where it can be retained for an indefinite period of time. ‘Shallow’ processing, on the other hand, keeps the information in the short-term memory only for as long as we are actively thinking about it. Elaborative processing helps us to remember, and to build connections between the new material we are trying to learn and our existing knowledge. This makes it easier to recall information, and to transfer learning to new situations or to solve different types of problems. So what practical steps can you take to use elaborative processing in your own learning? And more generally, how can cognitive psychology help us to be more effective learners? Let’s start by thinking about the study techniques that you use, and then look at their effectiveness for learning.

Activity

What techniques do you use when you study?

Imagine you are revising for an exam. The exam will last for two hours, and you will be asked to write two essay-style answers from a choice of five questions, about a topic in psychology that you are studying at the moment.

Which of the following techniques will you use to revise?

 Writing summaries of text from set reading materials and/or lecture notes  Asking questions and trying to explain to yourself (or someone else) why a theory or idea is true  Highlighting or underlining sections of text within set reading materials and/or lecture notes  Re-reading texts and lecture notes  Using imagery to try to help you to remember  Trying to remember pieces of information using mnemonics (memory tricks)  Testing yourself, or asking a friend to test you (perhaps using past exam papers or flashcards)  Explaining the ideas you are studying to a friend, or writing explanations  Trying to mix up different types of study techniques or materials within each study session.

© Oxford University Press, 2020