Spontaneous Strategies Used During Novel Word Learning

This online study examined spontaneous strategies of English-speaking adults during associative word learning, the relationship of these strategies with learning outcomes and within-task evolution of strategy use. Participants were to learn to name 14 object–pseudoword pairs across five successive encoding/recall blocks, followed by delayed recall 2 days later. Participants (n = 210) were randomized to learn novel object–pseudoword associations (n = 93) or familiar object–pseudoword associations (n = 117). Open-ended strategy reports followed each block. The participants’ learning curves were similar in both conditions. Most participants in both groups (60–70%) reported strategy use, with some qualitative group differences in preferred strategy types. Manipulation strategies like creating associations were related to superior performance in the first learning blocks but did not predict better delayed recall. Strategic choices gradually stabilized during learning. Our results show the prevalence of associative strategies when adults learn new word–referent mappings and highlight the importance of strategy use in individual differences in the progress of learning.