title: The importance of training strategy adaptation: a learner-oriented approach for improving older adults' memory and transfer.
abstract: We investigated the benefits of strategy-adaptation training for promoting transfer effects. This learner-oriented approach--which directly encourages the learner to generalize strategic behavior to new tasks--helps older adults appraise new tasks and adapt trained strategies to them. In Experiment 1, older adults in a strategy-adaptation training group used 2 strategies (imagery and sentence generation) while practicing 2 tasks (list and associative learning); they were then instructed on how to do a simple task analysis to help them adapt the trained strategies for 2 different unpracticed tasks (place learning and text learning) that were discussed during training. Two additional criterion tasks (name-face associative learning and grocery-list learning) were never mentioned during training. Two other groups were included: A strategy training group (who received strategy training and transfer instructions but not strategy-adaptation training) and a waiting-list control group. Both training procedures enhanced older adults' performance on the trained tasks and those tasks that were discussed during training, but transfer was greatest after strategy-adaptation training. Experiment 2 found that strategy-adaptation training conducted via a manual that older adults used at home also promoted transfer. These findings demonstrate the importance of adopting a learner-oriented approach to promote transfer of strategy training.
authors: Brain Connectivity Center, National Neurological Institute C. Mondino.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Bottiroli
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Cavallini
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Dunlosky
authors: Tomaso
authors: T
authors: Vecchi
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Hertzog
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D001245:Association Learning; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D013664:Teaching Materials