Effects of arithmetic ability, visualization ability, and presentation mode, on the total scores in a verbal learning task.
Date
1972
Authors
Brizan, Mary Victoria Hanson
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Abstract
The general purpose of this thesis is to add to the knowledge of the parallels existing, in both the verbal and arithmetic learning processes, between symbolism and concreteness.
The first specific purpose was to determine the relationship between the visualization ability and arithmetic ability in sixth grade children. All the sixth grade children (109 students) from two schools in the Saanich School District were included in this correlation study.
The second specific purpose was to investigate the interaction between visualization level and presentation mode, and their variable relationship in cases of above and below average arithmetic achievement. From the group of 109 students who were present for all criteria testing on the Stanford Achievement Test, and the Guilford Zimmerman Perceptual Tests, subjects were randomly discarded until five students were selected, for each of nine cells for a three by three analysis of variance on the scores.
The task, which was the learning of paired stimulus foreign words with English words--was presented in two modes; iconic mode which used actual pictures or sounds, and symbolic mode which used only the words themselves. Three sensory modalities of auditory, visual, and auditory-visual were equally varied in the stimulus content. (Tactual modality was used in a pilot study, the results of which are reported in an appendix). Although each student was a participant in all the presentations, the order of presentation was varied for all the groups, with one control group receiving a completely scrambled task.
Statistical treatment included 109 subjects for the correlation study, 109 subjects for the multiple group discriminant function analysis, and 45 subjects for the three way analysis of variance with repeated measures on two levels.
Within the limitations described in the paper, the following conclusions are made:
1. Arithmetic tests of computation, concepts and applications correlate positively with the perceptual tests of perceptual speed, spatial orientation and spatial visualization. Although each had a different individual relationship, the significant relationship was between spatial visualization and arithmetic concepts.
3. The students in the high arithmetic grouping did learn significantly more words than the children in the low ability grouping for the symbolic mode only. When the pictures of the words were presented, there was no significant difference in the scores. Presumably then, high arithmetic ability is related to the ability to form an internal image for the symbol, and to remember this internal image.
4. High visualizers did not learn significa.-r1tl y more words presented in either mode.
5. For the iconic mode, the measuring of the arithmetic abilities was more valid than the measuring of the visualization ability. The comparisons changed more with the highness or lowness of the arithmetic ability than with the highness or lowness of the visualization ability. Some comments on the reliability and diffuseness of the perceptual tests were made.
6. Symbolization level of words was found to be more important than presentation mode for the high and medium ability groups, and this was related to the need for concreteness. The low arithmetic low visualization group preferred the symbolic presentation over the iconic presentation, and for this group only, the presentation mode was found to be more important than the symbolization level of the words. Giving a picture did not necessarily help the mediation process nor the memory process.
The thesis also contains an extensive review of the literature including (1) an outline of research studies describing characteristics of sensory modalities; (2) research dealing with presentation modes and information processing; (3) research describing complexity levels and content types of messages, together with symbolization levels of messages and visualization levels of messages; (4) a review of research articles describing learner characteristics in arithmetic learning; (5) a selected review of research describing learner characteristics in language adoption; and (6) a section relating this research to the specific problem.
The thesis also contains an extensive array of suggestions for both a more intensive study of the current data, and an extension of the method of the study to include other areas.