General Problem: On learning.

Specific Problem: Experimentally determine the effect of whole and part

method of learning on the capacity of memorization of the subject through
visual presentation of stimuli.

Basic Concept:
Learning occupies a very important place in our life. Most of what we do or
don’t do is influenced by what we learn and how we learn it.

Learning, therefore, provides a key to the structure of our personality and

behaviour.

DEFINATIONS AND EXPLANATION

Learning, stands for all those changes and modifications in the behaviour of the
individual which he or she undergoes during his lifetime.

WOODWORTH [1945]:

Any activity can be called learning so far as it develops the individual and
makes him alter behaviour and experiences different from what they would
otherwise have been.

KIMBLE [1961]:

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavioural potentiality that occurs

as a result of reinforced practice.

 Learning is a process and not a product.

 It involves all those experiences and training of an individual which help
in to produce changes in his behaviour.
 Learning is a change in behaviour for better or worse.
 Instead of change in existing behaviour, learning may also result in
discontinuation of existing behaviour.
 Helps in adjustment and adaptation.
 Purposeful and goal oriented.
 Universal and continuous.
 It involves new ways of doing things but there is no limit of adopting
these ways and means.
  Change that takes place through practice, change due to growth or
maturation are not learning.
 The change must be relatively permanent.
FACTORS OF LEARNING

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH LERNER:

 Learner’s physical and mental health-

Learning is greatly affected by the learner’s physical and mental health
maintained by him particularly, at the time of learning. A simple headache or
a stomachache can play a havoc with the process and products of learning.

 The basic potential of the learner-

The results achieved by the learner through a process of learning depend heavily
upon his basic potential to undergo such learning. Such potential may consist of
things given:

Learner’s inmate abilities, capacities, general intelligence, specific knowledge,

understanding and skills, interests, aptitudes, and attitudes.

 The level of aspiration and achievement motivation-

Learning is greatly influenced by the level of aspiration and nature of
achievement motivation possessed by a learner.

 Goals of life-
The philosophy of immediate as well as ultimate goals of one’s life affect the
process and product of learning.

 Readiness and will power-

A learner’s readiness and power to learn is a great deciding factor of his results
in learning. No power on earth can help a learner if he is not ready to learn. If he
has a will to learn a thing, then automatically, he will himself find ways for
effective learning.

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TYPE OF LEARNING

EXPERIENCES:

 Nature of learning experience-

Learning is influenced by the nature of the subject matter and learning
experiences presented to a learner such as the following:

Whether the nature of learning experience is formal or informal, incidental or

well-planned, direct or indirect and the like. Whether learning experiences are
suitable selected on the basis of the age, grade and experiences of a learner.

 Methodology of learning-
Learning depends upon the methods, techniques and approaches employed for
the teaching and learning of the selected contents.

Linking the recent learnings with those of the past

Correlating learning in one area with that of another

Utilization of maximum number of senses

Revision and practice

Provision of proper feedback and reinforcement

LEARNING IS A HYPOTHETICAL CONSTRUCT

Learning is a concept and not a thing, and the activity called learning is inferred
only through behavioral symptoms. The distinction implicit here between
behaviour and inferred process is one of Tolman’s major contributions and
serves to reconcile influential views that might seem completely at odds.
Classical behaviourism, as developed by John B. Watson (1878–1958), rejected
every mentalistic account and sought to limit analysis to such physiological
mechanisms as reflexes. Watson argued that these are objective in a way that
so-called thoughts, hopes, expectancies, and images cannot be. The opposing
view holds that experiential (introspective) activity (exactly what Watson
sought to dismiss) does require discussion.

An attractive possibility is that intervening variables may have discoverable

physiological bases. Psychologists Paul E. Meehl and Kenneth McCorquodale
proposed a distinction between the abstractions advocated by some and the
physiological mechanisms sought by others. Meehl and McCorquodale
recommended using the term intervening variable for the abstraction and
hypothetical construct for the physiological foundation. To illustrate: Hull
treated habit strength as an intervening variable, defining it as an abstract
mathematical function of the number of times a given response is rewarded. By
contrast, Edward L. Thorndike (1874–1949) handled learning as a hypothetical
construct, positing a physiological mechanism: improved conduction of nerve
impulses.

Intervening variables and hypothetical constructs need not be incompatible;

Thorndike’s hypothetical neural process could empirically be found to be the
mechanism through which Hull’s abstraction operates.

LEARNING IS MEASURED THROUGH REMEMBERING

In the most commonly used version of this task, a randomly ordered sequence
of digits (e.g., 4-7-8-2-5-9) is read once to the participant, who is required to
repeat them in the same order. The resulting measure is known as the digit span,
defined as the number of digits that can be repeated in the correct order without
error. Span can also be measured using items other than digits: letters or words,
for example. However, it should be noted that the span measure obtained may
vary with the kinds of items employed. Thus, word span is typically somewhat
shorter than digit span, and word span itself will vary depending on various
features of the words, such as their length and familiarity.

Free Recall

In free recall, a list of items is presented and the task is to recall them in any
order. The measure of memory is the number (or proportion) of these items
recalled. If people are allowed to begin recalling immediately after the
presentation of the last item, this simple measure is subject to a strong recency
effect: The last few items in the list will be recalled very well.

Cued Recall

In cued recall, the task is to recall each item in response to a cue provided by the
tester. This cue may have been presented along with the item at the time of
study (an intra-list cue) or be an item not studied before (an extra-list cue).

REMEMBERING AND MEMORY

Memory denotes the ability or power of mind to retain and reproduce learning.
This power of ability helps in the process of memorization. Both the terms
‘memorization’ and ‘remembering’ carry the same meaning. While
differentiating memory and remembering, Levin [1978] says:
“Memory can be linked to a giant filling cabinet in the brain, with data sorted,
classified and Crossfield for the future reference. Remembering depends on
how the train goes about coding its input.”

STAGES OF MEMORY

Memory is the term given to the structures and processes involved in the storage
and subsequent retrieval of information. Memory is essential to all our lives,
without memory, we could not learn anything. Memory is involved in
processing vast amounts of information. This information takes many different
forms, e.g., images, sounds or meaning.
For psychologists the term memory covers three important aspects
of information processing:
1. Memory Encoding

When information comes into our memory system (from sensory input), it needs
to be changed into a form that the system can cope with, so that it can be stored.
Think of this as similar to changing your money into a different currency when
you travel from one country to another.
There are three main ways in which information can be encoded (changed):
1. Visual (picture)
2. Acoustic (sound)
3. Semantic (meaning)
The principle encoding system in long-term memory (LTM) appears to be
semantic coding (by meaning). However, information in LTM can also be
coded both visually and acoustically.

2. Memory Storage
This concerns the nature of memory stores, i.e., where the information is stored,
how long the memory lasts for (duration), how much can be stored at any time
(capacity) and what kind of information is held.
The way we store information affects the way we retrieve it. There has been a
significant amount of research regarding the differences between Short Term
Memory (STM) and Long Term Memory (LTM).
3. Memory Retrieval
This refers to getting information out storage. If we can’t remember something,
it may be because we are unable to retrieve it. When we are asked to retrieve
something from memory, the differences between STM and LTM become very
clear. STM is stored and retrieved sequentially and LTM is stored and retrieved
by association.
RELATION BETWEEN LEARNING AND MEMORY
The relationship between learning and memory is incredibly close and
intertwined. As stated by the American Psychological Association, learning
means securing various skills and information, while memory relates to how the
mind stores and recalls information. It is almost impossible for an individual to
truly learn something without also having the memory to retain what they have
learned. In many ways, learning and memory maintain a very interdependent
relationship, one that is much more nuanced and complex than it may appear to
be on the surface.
The Interdependence of Learning and Memory
Learning and memory share quite interesting parallels. First and foremost, both
functions exist in and rely upon the brain. Without the brain, both learning and
memory would be impossible. While learning can concern events that can take
place in the past, present, and future, memory pertains to occurrences that have
already passed. In other words, an individual can learn something new at
virtually any time. Information, however, can only be mentally processed and
stored in memory after learning.
STAGES OF MEMORY ASSOCITED WITH LEARNING
Memory is an active, subjective, intelligent reflection process of our previous
experiences.
Memory is related to learning but should not be confused with learning. There
are 3 main processes involved in human memory:
1. Encoding- Transforming information into a form that can be stored in
memory.
2. Storing- Maintaining the encoded information in memory.
3. Retrieving- Re-accessing information from the past which has been
encoded and stored.
Encoding is the first process that the human memory puts in operation. The
efficiency of learning, in general, depends on the efficiency of the encoding
process. It is an active and selective process that depends on a number of
factors. There are 3 types of factors that can influence encoding efficiency:
Content factors- Related to the type of material to be encoded.
Environmental factors-Related to the conditions under which the encoding
takes place.
Subjective factors-Related to variables in effect when encoding takes place.
Storing is the second process that makes it possible to preserve encoded
information. Just as with encoding, storing is an active and selective process. As
long as the information is stored, it is permanently transformed, reorganized,
and included in new links even if the subject is not fully aware of the process.
Storing the information involves both quantitative (the duration of retention)
and qualitative (the fidelity of retention) aspects.
Retrieval is the process of accessing the stored information. This occurs
through recognition or recall. Recognition is the association of an event or
object which one previously experienced or encountered and involves a process
of comparison of information with memory. Full recall requires a 2-step
process—first the search and retrieval of several items from memory, and
second, choosing the correct information from the multiple items retrieved.
Memory is essential to learning, but it also depends on learning because the
information stored in one’s memory creates the basis for linking new
knowledge by association. It is a symbiotic relationship which continues to
evolve throughout our lives.
VERBAL LEARNING

One of the important aspects of human behaviour is verbal behaviour that

distinguishes human beings from other animals. Humans converse with one
another, listen speak, read books and even think with the help of verbal
symbols. If we minutely observe the daily life situations transactions of human
beings, we would hardly find any aspects of human behaviour that bear no
stamp of verbal learning.

Verbal learning involves words. Words are the symbols that represent
something. Numbers, code words, etc. are also verbal symbols. All these
symbols stand for objects, events, situations and attributes or properties of these
objects and events. Hence, verbal learning involves development of abilities to
manipulate the symbols- words, numbers, verbal cues, codes etc.

MATERIALS USED TO STUDY VERBAL LEARNING:

Verbal learning materials include all the cases of learning by using words-
responding to or with.

A German psychologist, Herman Ebbinghaus in 1880, was the first to develop

nonsense syllables consisting of Constant-Vowel-constant (CVC) letters of
English alphabets or Constant-Constant-Constant (CCC) of the alphabets are
used as verbal materials for experimental studies. However, meaningful words,
codes, stories or poems are also often used. But, the use of CVC or CCC
trigrams are most preferred material because of certain advantages over the
meaningful words or other materials.

NONSENSE SYLLABLES

Nonsense syllables were first introduced by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his

experiments on the learning of lists. His intention was that they would form a
standard stimulus so that experiments would be reproducible. However, with
increasing use it became apparent that different nonsense syllables were learned
at very different rates, even when they had the same superficial structure.

Nonsense syllables can vary in structure. The most used are the so-called CVC
syllables, composed of a consonant, a vowel, and a consonant. These have the
advantage that nearly all are pronounceable, that is, they fit the phonotactics of
any language that uses closed syllables, such as English and German. They are
often described as "CVC trigrams", reflecting their three-letter structure.
FACTORS OF LEARNING WHICH IMPACT MEMORIZATION
CAPACITY
 REPEATED REPETATION:
Repetition or re-reading a lesson fix its durably. But recitation fixes it more
durably. Recitation means reciting to oneself. Let the reader read his lesson
twice or thrice, and then recite it to himself, prompting himself when he fails.

This active reciting method of study takes less time in memorizing. Recitation is
economical of time in memorizing, and fixes the mater more durably. If
nonsense syllables are replaced by sensible material, we get better results.
Recitation is a greater advantage for permanent memory than for immediate
memory.

 SPACED AND UNSPACED LEARNING:

Spaced repetitions are more effective than un-spaced learning. The greater is
the interval between one repetition and another at one sitting the less is the time
required to memorize the matter.

Spaced learning yields better result for permanent memory. Un-spaced learning
is good for immediate memory. Continuous cramming may be helpful for
immediate memory. But it cannot be useful for permanent memory. Spaced
learning fixes the matter more durably.
  AND ONE OF THEM IS WHOLE AND PART LEARNING:
The ‘entire method’ has been found to be superior to the ‘sectional method’ up
to a limit of about 240 lines of a poem for adults.

Children are discouraged by a long poem; they may show better results by
following the ‘part method’. Some have found the ‘whole method’ to be
superior in all cases. With others two thirds have done better with the ‘whole
method’ and one-third better with the ‘part method’. The ‘whole method’ yields
good results for permanent memory. The ‘part method’ yields good results from
immediate memory.

Which found that children up-to twelve years of age showed better result with
the ‘sectional method’ than with the ‘entire method’ except in memorizing those
poems in which there is perfect unity of thought and homogeneity of material.
Children above this showed better results with the ‘entire method’. The
adolescent is capable of more sustained mental activity, and can, therefore,
profitably use the ‘entire method’.

EXPERIMENTS ON WHOLE LEARNING AND PART LEARNING

One can learn a verbal material, e.g., prose passage or a poem, by dividing the
entire materials into parts and learning it by separately memorising each part.

For example, one may memorise the first stanza of the poem repeatedly reading
it, and then pass on to the next stanza and also to learn it by heart before passing
on to the next stanza, and so on, till he has learned by the heart each stanza of
the poem. He may then try to recite the entire poem from his memory.

On the other hand, he may repeatedly read the entire poem stanza by stanza,
until he can recite the whole poem correctly. The question arises as to which
method of memorizing the poem is easier. The answer has not been conclusive.

Part learning method has one advantage- one has not to wait long to be
rewarded for his effort. He repeats the part several times and obtains the reward
of having been able to repeat it from the memory. On the other hand, in learning
by whole method he has to repeat the entire material several times till he is able
to reproduce it correctly- the reward is very much delayed.

The result of an experiment on part versus whole method depends, however on

a number of variables, which is nature of the learning material- weather easy or
difficult, having closely related, partially related or unrelated contents, the
personality of the learner- weather young or old, intelligent or dull, his learning
habit, etc., and so on.

EXPERIMENT

For an experiment on part versus whole learning we can take 20 sentences for
part method and 20 sentences for whole method from the same prose passage.
Divide each set of 20 sentences into 4 sections, so that each section contains 5
sentences. Paste the sentences within each section on a separate sheet.

PART METHOD:

For the part method, present the first sheet to the subject for 30 seconds and test
his reproduction. Repeat the same till S reaches the criterion of two faultless
reproductions. Record the number of repetitions needed. Do the same with the
second sheet, and so on. After S has been able to learn the sentences on each
sheet, ask him to reproduce all the 20 sentences in the order in which they were
presented on the separate sheets. Record the errors of the reproduction. In case
there are errors or failure to reproduce all the sentences, present all sheets one
after the other, each for 30 seconds, and test S’s reproduction for the entire set
of sentences. Repeat this till S is able to reproduce all sentences correctly.
Record the number of trails needed for the purpose. Allow a rest of 20
milliseconds.

WHOLE METHOD:

In this case present the four sheets one after the other, each for 30 seconds., and
test S’s reproduction for the entire set. Repeat the procedure till S reaches the
stage of two faultless reproductions. Take S’s introspection for the ease or
difficulty in learning the two sets of sentences, and how he felt in the two parts
of the experiments. Calculate the total time taken by S for each set in reaching
the criterion of two faultless reproductions of the entire sets. Add, further, the
numbers of trials taken by S to learn the sentences within each section by the
part method and divide the total by four, the number of sections, to determine
the number of trails taken to learn the entire set. Add the value thus found to the
total number of additional trails taken to reproduce the entire set in the original
order. This will give the total number of trials required by S to reach the
criterion for learning the entire set of 20 sentences. Find the difference between
this value and the total number of trails taken to reach the learning criterion by
the whole method.
AIM:

The current study ends experimentally to determine the effect of whole and part
method of learning on the capacity of memorization of the subject through
visual presentation of stimuli.

Preliminaries:
Name of the subject: Anubratee Dutta

Age of the subject: 18 Years Old

Sex of the subject: Female

Education of the subject: Undergraduate 1st Year

Language known to subject: English, Hindi, Bengali

Condition of the: Fresh and cooperative

Date of the experiment: 04/03/21

Time of the experiment: 3:45 – 4:20 PM

Materials Required:
 Lists of nonsense syllables
 Strips of paper
 Stop-watch
 Screen
 Paper window
 Pen, pencil, eraser, scale

Plan of the Experiment:

a. Experimental Design:

Independent Variable (IV)

Learning Methods

Levels of IV

a. Whole Method b. Part Method

Dependent Variable (DV)

Capacity of memorization
 b. Plan of the Experiment- General Framework:

Preparatory Phase

 Determination of immediate memory span of the subject by progressive

part method
 Length of the list = memory span×4

Rest for 5 min

Experimental Condition I- Whole method

 List A will be presented visually up to reproduction in 3 trials

 Post Criterion Test (PCT) shall be taken

Rest for 10 min

Experimental Condition II- Part method

 List B will be presented visually in two parts (B1 and B2) up to

reproduction in 3 trials
 Post Criterion Test (PCT) shall be taken for both the parts together
c. Plan(List
of theB)Experiment – Specific Framework:

Stimulus Response Response Measure

Nonsense syllables:
 Percentage of the
Set A: List A is Subject’s reproduction correct response of
presented for 3 trials. (written), in serial order, the subject.
Each syllable is of the nonsense syllables  Accuracy of
presented for 2 seconds is taken followed by an reproduction in
with a time gap of 2 immediate PCT. PCT.
seconds between  Number of trials
consecutive syllables. and their
respective
Set B: List B is broken The subject memorizes reproduction.
up into two halves (B1 the list and reproduces it
and B2) each containing mechanically in serial
equal number of order, for both B1 and B2
syllables. List B1 is separately. The subject
presented for 3 trials. then recalls and
List B2 is presented for 3 reproduces list B1 and B2
trials. together for a PCT.

d. Controlling Techniques of Extraneous Variables:

Extraneous Variables Controlling Techniques

Subject-relevant variable:
Age, sex, educational level Kept constant (since N=1)

Stimulus-relevant variable:
Length of the list Kept constant
Difficulty level of the list Kept constant

Situation-relevant variable:
Noise Minimized
Illumination Kept constant

Sequence-relevant variable:
Fatigue Rest is provided

Plan of the Work:

Step I: the immediate memory span of the subject is to be found out by
progressive part method. The first list with one nonsense syllable is to be
presented to the subject. If the subject reproduces it correctly then a list of two
nonsense syllables is to be shown. In this way, every time the subject produces
the given list correctly one syllable in the next list is to be increased. This is to
be continued till the subject fails to reproduce correctly in two successive
reproductions.

The length of the list is the number of syllables produced correctly multiplied
by 4. Duration of presentation of each syllable is 2 seconds. Inter-syllable
interval is also 2 seconds for all trails.
Step II: The number of trial is fixed before-hand. Number of trials allotted for
whole method is 3. Number of trials allotted for part method is 6 (each set of
part method has 3 trials).

Step III: For the whole method of learning, List-A will be presented visually
for 3 trials. Recall will be taken immediately after each trial and after recall of
third trial PCT will be taken.

Step IV: For the part method, List-B is divided into two halves (B1 and B2) and
each half is presented visually for 3 trials. Firstly, B1 is presented for 3 trials and
immediate recall will be taken after each trial and the similar procedure is
followed for B2. After the recall of third trial of B2, PCT will be taken for both
B1 and B2.

Instructions:
For immediate memory span

“Please sit comfortably and be very attentive. I shall show you some
meaningless syllables one at a time through paper window. After I have finished
showing the nonsense syllables to you, you have to write down those syllables
in correct order on a piece of paper provided by me.”

For whole method of learning

“Please sit comfortably, relax and be very attentive. You will be exposed to a
set of nonsense syllables through paper window. As soon as I finish showing
you the list, you will have to write down as many syllables as you can, in the
correct order. The list will be shown to you for a definite number of times, and
each time you will have to recall the syllables from your memory. After this you
will be given a rest period. Please report to me immediately in case of any
difficulty.”

For part method of learning

“Please sit comfortably, relax and be attentive. In this phase, you will be
presented with a comparatively shorter list. You will be shown sets of nonsense
syllables for a specified number of times. As soon as I finish showing you the
first set, you will have to write down as many syllables as you can, in the
correct order. After learning the first set, you will be shown another set of
nonsense syllables for a specified number of times and the same procedures will
be followed. Subsequently, you will then have to recall, both the shorter lists
together, in the correct sequence, from memory. During the experiment, if you
have any problem, please let me know.”

“After the experiment is over, you will have to give me a written account of
your feelings and experiences during the experiment.”

Precautions:
The following precautions are maintained while conducting the experiment:

a. The paper window should be made accurately so that the subject can see
each syllable distinctively
b. Presentation of syllable will be one at a time
c. The screen should be placed in front of the subject so that the subject
cannot see the list beforehand
d. While preparing the list an adequate gap between two syllables need to be
maintained.
e. An equal time interval of 2 seconds between two nonsense syllables
should be maintained while presenting the list.
f. Each syllable is exposed for 2 seconds to the subject
g. The experiment should be conducted in a well illuminated, calm and quiet
atmosphere
h. Rest of 10 min should be given to the subject in between two phases of
the experiment

Rules for Preparing Nonsense Syllables:

a. 5rEach syllable is made by three letters with one vowel in between two
consonants (CVC method).
b. Syllables should be written in capital letters.
c. Syllables should be meaningless so that the subject is unable to make any
association.
d. The initial consonant of a syllable is not identical with the final consonant
of the same syllable of the list.
e. No two consecutive syllables in the list should have the same initial
consonant or the same vowel.
 f. The last consonant of any syllable should not be the same as the first
consonant of the next syllable.
g. The order of consonant and vowel should be avoided
h. The vowels are placed at random.
i. W, X, Y, Z, and Q should be avoided from the list.
j. Either C/K or G/J should be used in each syllable.
k. H should not be used at the end of any syllable.
l. There should not be any repetition and rhythmic presentation in the list.

Procedure:
Rapport was established with the subject and necessary instructions were given.

The immediate memory span of the subject was found out by the progressive
part method. Several lists of nonsense syllables, each having one more syllable
than the preceding one was prepared. They were presented to the subject,
visually, until some mistake was made in two consecutive trials. The memory
span was determined. The final lists of syllables were prepared, their lengths
were four times of the memory span.

List-A (for whole method) was presented to the subject. She was asked to
memorize the syllables and reproduce them correctly in serial order. This was
done for three trials, immediately followed by a PCT. After PCT was taken, the
subject was allowed a rest phase of 10 minutes.

List-B1 (the first half of the List-B) was presented to the subject and her
reproduction was noted. This was done for three trials. After this, List-B2
(second half of the List-B) was immediately presented to the subject. The
learning procedure was repeated for three trials. The subject was then
immediately asked to reproduce both List-B1 and B2 together for PCT.

After the entire set of data for both the methods were collected, the percentage
of recall was calculated. Graphical representations of the findings were also
done.

Report of the Subject:

In this experiment, I was asked to memorise lists of meaningless words. There
were two phases, and I had to memorise so many lists and then recall them. At
first it seemed quite difficult but slowly it got easier and I enjoyed doing it but
the problem was when I memorise the second word, I tend to forget the first
word I memorised, and I guess it was the purpose of the experiment so overall it
was fun.

Data and Calculations:

Determination of memory span (by progressive part method)

Table 1: List-1 containing of 1 syllable

Nonsense Syllable Subject’s reproduction

KOC KOC 

Table 2: List-2 containing of 2 syllables

Nonsense Syllable Subject’s reproduction

FIS FIS 
GEP GEP 

Table 3: List-3 containing 3 syllables

Nonsense Syllable Subject’s reproduction

LAJ LAJ 
RUD RUD 
BOF BOF ×
As the subject failed to reproduce all the 3 syllables of List-3 correctly, the List-
4 again contained of 3 syllables.

Table 4: List-4 containing 3 syllables

Nonsense Syllable Subject’s reproduction

HUS HUS 
DIT DIT ×
MEP MEP ×
Number of correct reproductions = 2 (since the subject failed to reproduce all
the 3 syllables in List 3 and 4).

⸫ Memory span of the subject = 2

Length of the lists = (2×4) = 8 syllables (each list)

Table 5: showing determination of capacity of memorization of the subject
using whole method of learning (List-A)

Nonsense Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 PCT

Syllables
HEB HEB  HEB  HEB  HEB 
GUK GUK × GUK  GUK  GUK 
HOC HOC  HOC  HOC  HOC 
JAF JAF × JAF  JAF  JAF 
TIB TIB  TIB × TIB  TIB ×
KES KES  KES × KES  KES ×
PUC PUC × PUC  PUC  PUC 
HAN HAN  HAN  HAN  HAN 
Number of
correct 5 6 8 6
reproductions
Percentage of
correct 62% 75% 100% 75%
reproduction

Table 6: showing determination of capacity of memorization of the subject

using part method of learning (List B1)

Nonsense Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Syllables
KIM KIM  KIM  KIM 
BES BES  BES  BES 
GAV GAV × GAV × GAV 
DUR DUR  DUR  DUR 
Number of correct 3 3 4
reproductions
Percentage of
correct 75% 75% 100%
reproduction

Table 7: showing determination of capacity of memorization of the subject

using part method of learning (List B2)

Nonsense Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Syllables
JON JON  JON  JON 
FAD FAD  FAD  FAD 
HIK HIK  HIK  HIK 
VES VES × VES  VES 
Number of correct 3 4 4
reproductions
Percentage of
correct 75% 100% 100%
reproduction

Table 8: showing PCT of List-B (B1 and B2 together)

Nonsense Syllables PCT

KIM KIM 
BES BES 
GAV GAV 
DUR DUR 
JON JON 
FAD FAD 
HIK HIK 
VES VES 
Number of correct reproductions 8
Percentage of correct reproduction 100%

Table 9: showing comparison between whole and part method of learning on

the capacity of memorization of the subject

Condition Capacity of memorization % of correct

Learning method % of correct reproduction in reproduction in PCT
each trial
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Whole learning 62% 75% 100% 75%
Part learning 75% 75% 100% 100%
75% 100% 100%

Graphs:
Interpretation:
In this present experiment, an attempt was made to determine the effect of
whole and part learning on the capacity of memorisation of the subject.

From the comparative chart, it is observed that, in whole learning method, in

trail-1 percentage of correct reproduction is 62% in trail-2 it is 75% in trail-3 it
is 100% and in the PCT it is 75%.

In part learning method, the percentage of correct reproduction in trail-1 of the

first half is 75% in trail-2 it is 75% and in trail-3 it is 100% and the percentage
of correct reproduction in second half in trail-1 is 75% in trail-2 it is 100% in
trail-3 it is 100%. In part learning the percentage of correct recall in PCT is
100%.

From the results of this experiment, it is observed that, the percentage of correct
reproduction in the three trials by whole learning is a little lesser than the
percentage of correct reproduction in the two halves of part learning.
In case of whole learning (where the subject was exposed to all the 8 syllables
before each trail) the percentage of correct reproduction is less, and progression
in the amount of correct reproduction is also less. But in part learning (where
the subject was exposed to 4 syllables in each half) the percentage of correct
reproduction and progression in the amount of correct reproduction is greater.

Comparing the correct reproduction percentage in the post-criterion test it is

observed that, part method of learning has yielded better reproduction than the
whole method. For the present subject, it is observed that, the part method has
come out to be more effective than the whole method.

Experimental Evidence:

While learning any material, for example a prose passage, some people adopt
the method of learning one part thoroughly and then going to the next part, thus
learning the whole passage part by part. This is called the part method. Some
others, on the other hand, prefer to go through the entire passage repeatedly and
try to learn the passage as a whole. In a very early experiment Stiffens found
that in learning syllables and stanzas the whole method was found to take much
less time. Pyle and Snider in their experiments also found a distinct advantage
in using the whole method.

Similar results were also obtained by Mailer. However, Winch in an experiment

on learning poetry found part learning to be more advantageous. McGoech in a
study on children found little difference between the two methods. Cook, using
mazes, and human subjects again found little difference between the two
methods. One thus finds that the conclusions here are contradictory. The fact is
that ease of learning appears to depend not only on the method but also on the
ability of the subject, the difficulty of the materials, the length of the material
etc.

Problem: To compare the relative advantages of the whole and part methods in
learning a passage of poetry.

Materials: A poem consisting of three or four stanzas.

A. Procedure for the Whole Method: The experiment is done as a group

experiment. Two groups of subjects of equal intelligence are chosen, one being
subjected to the whole method of learning and another to the part method. The
experiment is done in separate rooms on the two groups.
1. Instruction to ‘the whole ‘learning group- ‘I will read out a poem to you. You
will have to listen carefully and write down. This procedure will be repeated ten
times, which means that you will write down the poem ten times.’

2. The experimenter reads the passage in a clear and audible way and asks the
subject to write it down.

3. This procedure is repeated ten times. At the end of this, the last reproductions
are corrected and the number of errors counted.

B. Procedure for the Part Method:

1. Here the instructions are as follows- “I have a poem consisting of three

stanzas. I will read out one stanza and you will have to write down what I have
read. The same stanza will be read out ten times and you will have to write
down. You will follow the same method in regard to all the three stanzas.”

2. The experimenter reads out the first stanza ten times each time asking the
subject to write it down. The same procedure is repeated with the other stanzas
also.

Finally, the subjects are required to reproduce the entire poem. These
reproductions are corrected and the mistakes counted.

I chose the experiment because it is very close to mine’s not particularly the
exact but almost same. In case of my subject in the present experiment the part
method was found beneficial for the subject than the whole method and here in
this experiment also the experimenter Winch found that part method more
beneficial for his subject. And according to my subject the part method was
easier and it was easy to recall.

Conclusion:
Hence, it can be concluded that in the present experiment, for the present
subject the part method of learning method has come out to be more effective
than the whole method of learning.

BY- TADIPARTHI RITIKA.