Use of microcomputers to copy information: Effects on free recall

摘要

Copying time and the immediate recall of information following copying was investigated as a function of copying method (i.e., copying by microcomputer or by hand), Gender (males and females), and Trials (four copying trials). Twenty-nine male and thirty female undergraduate students were assigned randomly to one of four groups: copy by microcomputer, males and females, and copy by hand, males and females. Each subject copied four passages and immediate recall of total words, key words, and ideas was assessed for each passage. Overall, there were few significant differences between either the two copying methods or gender, although a significant method by gender interaction was found for the total number of words recalled. Significant differences across trials for total words recalled and numbers of ideas were taken as an indication that subjects in this study were “learning to learn”. It was also found that copying material by microcomputer was faster than by hand. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.