Some Data Concerning the Mathemagenic Hypothesis

Abstract

Most teachers provide some form of guidance for their students before sending them out to study on their own. Quite often this guidance takes the form of questions which are to be used as study aids along with text materials. Intuitively it would seem that students should look at the questions before they begin their reading, yet a number of studies show that overall retention of prose material is highest when the students see the questions after reading the relevant material (Rothkopf, 1966; Rothkopf & Bisbicos, 1967; Frase, 1967a). Rothkopf (1965) has conjectured that post-questions may reinforce a class of responses which give rise to learning (mathemagenic behaviors). Since the student who sees post-questions cannot anticipate what question will be asked, he must study the entire passage carefully. If he then encounters a question which he can answer he will tend to read the next passage in a similar manner. If he cannot answer the question he will modify his reading of the next passage, gradually eliminating inappropriate reading behaviors. It is also possible that post-questions merely cue or elicit previously learned reading skills appropriate to the requirements of the task. The mathemagenic hypothesis has several interesting implica-