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Erlbaum Awards in Cognitive Science
2006-2007 Winners
Biographies and Abstracts
Andrew C. Butler
Washington Univ in Saint Louis (MO)
Graduate Winner
Faculty Spn: Henry L. Roediger, III, PhD
Andrew Butler is a fifth year doctoral student at Washington University in St. Louis. His research primarily focuses on how cognitive psychology can be applied to enhance educational practice. This work revolves around the idea of using testing as a learning tool (as opposed to a means of assessment) to promote comprehension and long-term retention of classroom material. Other research interests include the influence of attitudes on memory in social contexts (e.g., politics, culture), prospective memory, false memories/repression, spontaneous conscious recollection, memory systems, collective memory, and the history of psychology. He began his dissertation research in the fall of 2007.
The Effect of Type and Timing of Feedback on Learning From Multiple-Choice Tests
The present experiment investigated how the type and timing of feedback influence learning from a multiplechoice test, variables that have often been confounded in prior research. Students read prose passages and then took an initial six-alternative multiplechoice test. Feedback was given immediately for some of the multiplechoice items or one day later for other items. Participants were either shown the correct answer as feedback (standard feedback) or allowed to keep answering until the correct answer was discovered (answer-until-correct feedback). Learning from the test was assessed one week later on a cued recall test. The results indicated that delayed feedback led to superior final test performance relative to immediate feedback. However, type of feedback did not matter: discovering the correct answer through answeruntil- correct feedback produced equivalent performance relative to standard feedback. This research suggests that delaying the presentation of feedback after a test is beneficial to learning.
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Khushbu Shah
Rutgers University Newark (NJ)
Undergraduate Winner
Faculty Spn: Jan Mohlman, PhD
Khushbu Shah from Edison, NJ, graduated in May 2007 from Rutgers Honors College of Rutgers University. She received a BA with honors in psychology and biology. Ms. Shah has presented her research at the 21st National Conference of Undergraduate Research at Dominican University (CA) in April of 2007. She was also awarded Rutgers University’s Alice M. and Walter F. Philips Award for outstanding proposal by the honors committee. This distinction recognized the high level of achievement shown in her thesis and general level of academic excellence. After graduating, she plans to pursue her career both in medicine and research. She would like to thank her advisors Dr. Jan Mohlman and Dana Eldreth for helping her with this project. She would also like to thank her parents Mrs. Daksha Shah and Mr. Lalit Shah for their support.
The Effects of GAD With Comorbid Dysthymia on Cognitive Performance in a Group of Older Adults
Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) often have a comorbid diagnosis of dysthymia. Although current literature does not provide evidence of executive skills impairment in GAD patients, studies revealed that patients with major depression show executive cognitive impairment (ECI). Therefore, we hypothesized that individuals with GAD and comorbid dysthymia would show ECI. Participants were older adults who were assigned to three groups: control, GAD, or GAD with dysthymia. Participants completed cognitive tests and questionnaires measuring depression and anxiety. Surprisingly, results indicated that GAD with comorbid dysthymia was not associated with ECI. These results suggest that having dysthymia as a secondary diagnosis does not necessarily lead to ECI; however, severity of dysthymia may be negatively related to ECI.
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Previous Winners
2005-2006 Graduate: Annie Louise Metcalf, Arizona State University (biography | abstract)
2005-2006 Undergraduate: Jonathan Gorman, New York University (biography | abstract)
2004-05 Graduate Dianne M. Learned, Kent State University (bio)
2004-05 Undergraduate Haley Stapleton, George Fox University (bio)
2003-04 Graduate Angela Gutchess, University of Michigan (bio)
2003-04 Undergraduate Jessica Gale, Pomona College (bio)
2002-03 Graduate Ivan K. Ash, University of Illinois at Chicago (bio)
2002-03 Undergraduate Rebecca Lamberth, Rutgers University New Brunswick (bio)
2001-02 Undergraduate Jessica Kruer, Albion College (bio)
2000-01 Undergraduate Julie E. Misak, Southwestern Oklahoma State University (bio)
1999-00 Graduate Andrew L. Geers, Ohio University (bio)
1999-00 Undergraduate Brian M. Judd, Seattle University (bio)
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