Background Information

ELABORATION TECHNIQUES​​

• When trying to remember new words, elaboration techniques were shown to be beneficial in both recognition and recall( D'Agostino et. al 1977).

  • This study: Pictures and visual words in connection with ASL

• Elaboration Techniques increase meaningfulness of stimuli (Mayer 1980).

  • Connecting to the idea of Dual Processing​

• The use of pictures in learning sign language has yielded beneficial results. Making iconic features salient and present in pictures facilitates picture sign recognition and more accurate signing as compared with no use of pictures of the object being signed (Vinson et. al 2015).  

• In addition, showing the written word for signs instead of pictures (ex: “thank you”)  has been shown to help deaf signers, as they rely on meaning activation from printed visual forms, followed by similar production processes from meaning to signs in a similar way to how they interpret picture signing (Hu et. al 2011).

  • shows the grounding features of the written word are also beneficial​​

IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED TESTING​

• Poorer accuracy performance on delayed testing then immediate (Maki 1998).

• High-imagery words were rehearsed and recalled slightly more frequently in immediate memory, but there was no effect resulting from the stimuli in delayed recall (Bonvillian 1987).

  • Images shown to help immediate memory but not delayed

• Serial Order learning aids in short term memory and vocabulary development (Majerus 2013).

  • This study: The signs are presented serially, and are all connected with apple picking 

GOAL: Can elaboration techniques have a significant effect on memory in both short term and long term memory, i.e. accuracy in the immediate and delayed testing phase?​