Effects of structural variations in elaboration on learning by EMR and nonretarded children

The effects of three elaboration structures (compound sentences, complex sentences, and paragraphs) on the paired-associate learning and reversal of 30 8- to 10-year-old nonretarded and 30 8- to 10-year-old EMR children were investigated. Analyses of trials-to-criterion, first trial errors, and reversal errors did not reveal any differences in the effects of the three elaboration structures. Results of the present study indicate that given constant meaning and relational factors, some forms of surface structure differneces (compound sentences vs. complex sentence vs. paragraph) are not significant in determining a child's ability to understand an elaboration or to use it in a learning situation. There was no population difference found in the analysis of first-trial errors, although small significant differences between the nonretarded and EMR children were found in the analyses of trials-to-criterion and reversal performance.