EFFECTS ON CONTENT ACQUISITION OF

SIGNALING KEY CONCEPTS IN TEXT MATERIAL

BY: ALEXIS BACK

QUESTION

Do signaling key concept improve

students performances?

HYPOTHESIS

Articles that have key concepts signaled

would improve the scores of students.

PARTICIPANTS
80 undergraduates
In introductory psychology
Was a requirement
76.25% female
Ages 18-54
To encourage the students they got raffle tickets
One for completing the study
5 additional if at least 50% questions were right
10 additional if at least 75% questions were right
20 additional if at least 90% questions were right

METHODOLOGY

2 passages from a text book chapter on social psychology, one on group

influences and other on social perception

Each passage was between 2600 ad 2700 words
One presented in signaled format, one in non signaled format.
Both included headings, subheadings, and bold faced terms
Signaled format contained 10 margin inserts which was a one sentence summary

of the key concepts from the text.

METHODOLOGY

After reading each passage, each passage should take 20 minutes to read.
Take two 20-item multiple choice quizzes to measure what information you acquired
Each quiz contained 10 items on the knowledge learned on signaled concept and 10 on the

nonsignaled.
Take quiz in 10 minutes
Then respond to a 3 item questionnaire assessing their preference on each format.

RESULTS

Analysis of the data tests showed significantly better quiz performance in signaled content

question rather than nonsignaled format.

DISCUSSION

Students performed better with signaling passages.

Students performed not better nor worse on tests when reading no signaled content
Students should not use the signaled summaries and content as a substitute of reading

WHERE DO I FIT IN?

I fit in to this by my results would be just the same

I understand essays better by reading a signaled essay
A signaled essay helps put the complicated words in simpler form to understand.

WORK CITED

Nevid, Jeffrey and Jodi Lampmann. Effects on Content Acquisition of Signaling Key

Concepts in Text Material. 3 November, 2003. Vol.30. Text

Chaper 7
Effects on Content Acquisition of Signaling Key Concepts in Text Material