Illustrations as adjuncts to prose: A text-appropriate processing approach.

Examined the possibility that effects of illustrations on memory for text will vary as a function of the nature of the text (narrative vs expository) and as a function of the type of information depicted in the illustrations (details conveyed in a particular proposition vs information conveyed by the interrelationship of several propositions). In Exp 1, 72 college subjects read a fairy tale or an expository text accompanied by no pictures (control condition), by pictures illustrating details from the text, or by pictures illustrating relations among propositions in the text. Pictures effectively increased recall only when they depicted the type of information for which the text type presumably invited processing (i.e., details for the expository passage, relations for the fairy tale). In Exp 2, 72 college subjects were instructed to attend to the type of information not normally encoded from each text type. With the addition of these special processing instructions, illustrations enhanced memory for not normally encoded information in the fairy tale; a tendency toward the same trend occurred in the expository passage. Recall of information for which the text type encouraged processing continued to be enhanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis and reactivity of Mannich-derived polyoxyethylene amines as epoxy curing agents

The facile Mannich reaction of phenol, formaldehyde, and polyoxyalkylene polyamines at various molar ratios afforded a family of polyetheramines containing functionalities of phenol, primary amines, secondary amines, and polyoxyethylene or polyoxypropylene block copolymers in the same molecule. The synthesis can be generalized by using various polyoxyethylene or polyoxypropylene diamines (and triamines) of molecular weights ranging from 104 to 430 to prepare a family of Mannich amines, with exception of certain gel products such as phenol/formaldehyde/bis(aminoethyl)ether adduct at 1 : 3 : 3 molar ratio. The series of Mannich amines were evaluated for their epoxy curing reactivities by comparing their gel time and drying time. The Mannich amines prepared from polyoxyethylene amines exhibited higher reactivities than those of polyoxypropylene amine derivatives. The trend of their relative reactivities is explained by the molecular size, the multiplicity of amines in the molecule, and the steric hindrance of amine structure. The physical properties of cured epoxy materials, such as impact, tensile, flexural strength, and hardness properties were also measured and correlated with the amine molecular weight, crosslinking density, and the presence of phenol group. The structure–property relationship is discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 2339–2346, 1997     

Generation effects in free recall: Further support for a three-factor theory.

A framework is presented that helps explain and predict generation effects in free recall (for between-Ss manipulations of generating vs reading). When the targets share common features and when that shared information is salient to Ss, Ss will exploit that information to help generate the target items. This produces more relational processing among the targets (relative to reading), enhancing free recall. Consistent with this idea, when shared information (among targets) was salient, generation effects in free recall were found under encoding conditions that can disrupt generation effects in cued recall (e.g., pairing targets with unrelated cues). Further, within the same list, generation effects emerged in free recall for targets that were processed after shared information became evident but not for targets processed prior to the availability of the shared information. In recognition, generation effects were found for targets regardless of when they were processed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)