The primary objective of the research reported in this paper was to examine the relationship between early formal school experiences and the development of certain learning and memory processes. (Author)

Two conflicting hypotheses were investigated in this study. The first is based on an interference theory of forgetting and assumes that forgetting is largely a function of proactive interference, i.e., a result of interference by previously learned material. The second is based on the improvement of memory due to basic mechanisms that may operate…

The effectiveness of the mnemonic keyword method was examined in four experiments with college students learning lists of pairs of Spanish nouns and their English equivalents. Implications for the further study and application of the keyword method are discussed. (Author/GK)

Two questions were addressed regarding the utility of the keyword method, originally developed as an instructional technique to facilitate foreign language vocabulary acquisition: (1) the method's applicability to other common school learning tasks; and (2) students' use of the method as a self-initiated study strategy. (Author/AL)

The keyword method, originally developed as an instructional technique in foreign language acquisition, was tested for its application in other school learning tasks and as a self-initiated study strategy. Two classes containing a total of 40 eighth grade students served as the experimental and control groups. The tasks were learning to pair…