UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2003 Vocabulary acquisition and the generation effect Barbara Anne Badgett University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Badgett, Barbara Anne, "Vocabulary acquisition and the generation effect" (2003). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1577. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/01h7-pl8a This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE GENERATION EFFECT by Barbara AimeBadgett Bachelor o f Science University o f Nevada, Las Vegas 2000 A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment o f the requirements for the Master o f Science D%ree in Educational Psychology Department o f Educational Psychology CoU%e o f Education Graduate College University o f Nevada, Las V( December 2003 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1417754 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1417754 Copyright 2004 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Approval IJNTV The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas November 1R -20_a3_ The Thesis prepared by Barbara Anne Badgett Entitled Vocabulary Acquisition and the Generation Effect is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science In Educational Psychology Erazzzzzzafzozz Comzzzztfee CZzazr r Deazz o f fZze G raduate CoZZege Ai A EramznafioM Commzffee Alezzz Gradzzafe Co/Zege EacaZfy Represezzfafztze 1017-53 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Vocabulary Aequisldon and the Generation Efkct by Barbara Anne Badgett Dr. Alice J. Corkill, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor o f Educational Psychology University o f Nevada, Las Vegas This study investigated two methods o f inducing the Gene-ation Effect and how its principles might be incorporated in vocabulary acquisition. Subjects attempted to learn 22 unfamiliar vocabulary words under one o f three conditions: 1) defnition-only control subjects repeatedly wrote each word and deGnition; 2) sentence generation subjects wrote each word and deGnition and then wrote a meaningful sentence using that word; and 3) deGniGon generation subjects read the words embedded in context saitences and extrapolated and wrote the word meanings. Subjects were tested following a distracter task, 48-hours later, and again 21-days later. SigniGcant main effects were found for encoding condiGon and Gme o f test, with no signiGcant interacGon between the two. Sentence generaGon subjects performed better than the other two groups o f subjects and subjects performed best at immediate recall, followed by 48-hour and then 21-day delayed recall. The results are interpreted with respect to a levels-of^processing explanaGon. m Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSRACT......................................................................................................................... üi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Review of Literature ...................................................................................................... 3 Current Study .............................................................................................................. 66 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................... 73 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 75 Participants................................................................................... 75 M aterials ...................................................................................................................... 75 Procedure... .................................................................................................................. 78 CHAPTER 3RESULTS..................................................................................................... 81 Scoring......................................................................................................................... 81 Vocabulary Acquisition Analysis............................................................................. 84 Analysis o f SpeciGc Hypotheses.............................................................................. 86 Perceived DifGculty Analysis .................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 88 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................ 89 General Discussion..................................................................................... 93 RecommendaGons for Future Research ....................................................................... 101 APPENDICES........................................................................ 105 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 127 VITA .................................................................................................................................. 130 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS WOW! What an experience. I have several bruises, as I continue to pinch myself. It is hard to believe that I have successfully conqzleted this process. I could never have done it alone; there are so many people to wdiom I owe great thanks. I'm not sure how to express my gratitude to my parents. Your pride and 6ith in me served as driving forces during the many times when I lost faith in myself To my Mom and Daddy J. : without your love and emoGonal and financial support this would not likdy have been possible. If it were not for us leaches, to wdxmi you so aSectionately refer to as your children, you would probably be able to live in a fancy house on a big hill. I appreciate, &om the bottom o f my heart, all o f the sacriGces you have made for me. Thank you for taking such great care of Schatzi while I was working. I know that \^*en she comes home to me Dad w ill miss the giG o f sand that she leaves in his bed for him. Mom, thank you for your help with my vocabulary terms and for being so understanding o f my absenteeism. You have been so supportive throughout this entire process. Daddy J., thank you for helping me develop into a thinker; I wonder if you might regret that at times. Daddy D , knowing how proud you are o f me puts a bounce in my step. Thank you for listening to me when I was down and doubtGil o f whether I would succeed in this process. I am one lucky girl! I appreciate the guidance I received G"om all o f my committee members. You were all very patient with me. To my advisor and dear Giend, Alice Jane, I would like to extend my gratitude for so very many things: 1) all o f the weekends you sacriGced in Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. order to help me; 2) the many meals you fed me during those long wedcend hours; 3) hdping me learn so much while we worked side-by-side; 4) helping me keep my head up vdren I ran into trouble; 5) all o f your reassurance that I would succeed (boy, did I need that); 6) your love and support; 6) letting me keep an "aforementioned" or two and a few "eGectuate's"; and 7) simply being you. I am so honored to be able to work with you. I have admired you and your work since I was an undergraduate. Sometimes it is still hard to believe that I have access to such an amazing mind. Y O U ROCK! ! I extend much thanks to my fellow graduate students. To