Maximizing Generalization of Cognitions and Memories After Traumatic Brain Injury 1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the processes by which survivors of brain injury learn cognitive strategies and the extent to which these strategies can be applied in other situations. The Principles of transfer of training, and generalization formed the basis for specific predictions made about the acquisition and transfer of learning by the patients. Brain-injured patients were tested for their memory of learned lists of words using the part-to-whole learning paradigm. In two separate experiments participants learned part-lists, which varied in the degree of their categorical organizational of items. A test of whole-list learning in the first experiment (n = 60) showed that brain-damaged patients learned and applied the organization skill learned for the part-list items. The second experiment (n = 40) showed that brain-damaged patients were poor at spontaneously organizing material to facilitate recall. The practical implications of these findings are discussed within the transfer of learning model.