Semantic Knowledge: Mechanisms of Growth and Variability in Outcome Restricted; Files Only
Cronin-Golomb, Lucy (Spring 2024)
Published
Abstract
Productive memory processes, wherein learners move beyond directly taught information to generate new knowledge, play a salient role in knowledge base expansion. One such generative process is self-derivation through memory integration, which has been shown to relate concurrently to both children’s and adults’ performance on tests of knowledge. Yet, the extent to which self-derivation supports the accumulation of new knowledge over time is not yet known. Further, there is striking variability in self-derivation performance even across different age groups, methods, and contexts, but the factors that drive this variability remain relatively understudied. The component subprocesses underlying successful self-derivation, as illustrated by the ERISS model (i.e., Encoding, Reactivation, Integration, and Selection, with Self-derivation being the final “S”) are strong contenders. The extent to which these subcomponents interact to contribute to variance in self-derivation is not yet known. In the current work, to address these open questions, we tested mechanisms of semantic knowledge accumulation and variability in outcome in elementary to middle school-aged children across two studies. In Study 1, we examined relations between self-derivation and knowledge growth over one year in a sample of 148 8- to 12-year-old children. We found significant relations between self-derivation and knowledge growth, while accounting for age and memory for directly taught information. In Study 2, we systematically assessed each sub-process illustrated by the ERISS model in a sample of 105 7-to 11-year-old children. Using performance on each task as clustering variables, we found that four clusters emerged within our sample. These findings suggest that variability in self-derivation may arise in part from the different ways in which learners use memory subprocesses to manipulate and engage with new information. Taken together, these studies provide novel insights to the mechanisms driving the development of semantic knowledge growth.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: General Introduction. 1
Self-Derivation and Knowledge Accumulation. 2
Self-Derivation and Variability in Outcome. 4
The Current Research. 6
Chapter 2: Mechanisms of Semantic Knowledge Accumulation. 7
Introduction. 7
Knowledge Accumulation. 8
Self-Derivation through Memory Integration. 10
The Current Research. 12
Chapter 2: Method. 14
Participants. 14
Stimuli 15
Measures of Domain Knowledge. 16
WCJ IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities 8a and 8b: General Information. 17
WCJ IV Tests of Achievement 19: Social Studies. 17
WCJ IV Test of Achievement 18: Science. 17
WCJ IV Test of Achievement 4: Passage Comprehension. 17
WCJ IV Test of Achievement 20: Humanities. 18
WCJ IV Test of Achievement 2: Applied Problems. 18
Procedure. 18
Procedure: Session 1. 18
Procedure: Session 2. 21
Scoring for Open-Ended Tests of Self-Derivation, Stem and Filler Fact Recall, and Retention. 22
Statistical Approach. 22
Chapter 2: Results. 27
1-stem Self-Derivation Control Analyses. 27
Analyses for Knowledge Change from Wave 1 to Wave 2. 28
Exploratory Factor Analysis. 29
Analysis for Concurrent Relations. 29
Analysis for Longitudinal Relations. 30
Chapter 2: Discussion. 31
Major Findings. 32
Implications. 33
Other Contributions. 34
Limitations and Future Directions. 35
Conclusions. 36
Chapter 3: Mechanisms of Variability in Semantic Knowledge. 37
Introduction. 37
Self-derivation through Memory Integration. 38
Encoding. 40
Reactivation. 40
Integration. 41
Selection. 42
The Current Research. 42
Chapter 3: Method. 44
Participants. 44
Stimuli 45
Matched stimulus sets. 45
Stimulus set images and audio. 46
Procedure for ERISS tasks. 46
Encoding and Self-derivation. 48
Reactivation. 48
Integration. 50
Selection. 51
Behavioral Scoring (test of self-derivation, encoding, within-selection self-derivation, and the direct test of selection). 53
Eye Tracking Data Reduction. 54
Exclusions. 55
Approach to eye tracking analyses. 55
Chapter 3: Results. 57
Descriptive Statistics. 57
Eye Gaze During the Indirect Tests: Task Validity. 58
Replication of Prior Work. 59
Analysis of Unique Contribution of Each of the ERISS Measures. 60
Exploratory Cluster Analysis. 61
Chapter 3: Discussion. 62
Major Findings and Implications. 63
Limitations and Future Directions. 68
Conclusions. 70
Chapter 4: General Discussion. 70
Major Findings. 71
Implications. 73
Limitations and Future Directions. 77
Conclusions. 78
References. 79
List of Tables and Figures. 90
Table 2.1. 90
Table 2.2. 91
Table 2.3. 92
Table 2.4. 93
Table 2.5. 94
Table 2.6. 95
Table 3.1. 97
Table 3.2. 98
Table 3.3. 99
Table 3.4. 100
Table 3.5. 101
Table 3.6. 102
Table 3.7. 104
Table 3.8. 106
Figure 1.1. 107
Figure 2.1. 108
Figure 2.2. 109
Figure 2.3. 110
Figure 2.4. 111
Figure 2.5. 112
Figure 2.6. 113
Figure 3.1. 114
Figure 3.2. 115
Figure 3.3. 116
Figure 3.4. 117
Figure 3.5. 118
Supplemental Materials. 119
Table 2.7. 119
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