We first heard the expression years ago when Ed asked a UCLA psychologist how people learn. "Spaced repetition" was the answer. The fundamental principle of all learning in all creatures, she said, was spaced repetition.
I figured spaced repetition had to apply to persuasion, too, because I'd seen it work on I Love Lucy. Lucy's tactic was to just kept repeating the same thing over and over again until Ricky started to think it was his idea.
Actually, I don't remember if Lucy ever did that, but I do remember this was a concept known to 1950s housewives.
"Just keep bringing it up until he thinks it's his idea." That was a wife thing.
I've been using spaced repetition for years. For the past couple of years I've been saying algebra in the 8th grade about as often as parrots used to say Polly wanna cracker. At some point I'm going to have said algebra in the 8th grade so many times my district will start teaching algebra in the 8th grade just to shut me up.
..................................
So guess what?
Science has proved me right!
How to make your personal opinion seem "popular"
A fascinating study has just found that hearing one person's opinion repeated is almost as effective as hearing several different people's opinions.
Repeated exposure to one person's viewpoint can have almost as much influence as exposure to shared opinions from multiple people. This finding shows that hearing an opinion multiple times increases the recipient's sense of familiarity and in some cases gives a listener a false sense that an opinion is more widespread then it actually is.
hah!
I could have told them that.
"This study conveys an important message about how people construct estimates of group opinion based on subjective experiences of familiarity," states lead author Kimberlee Weaver, (Ph.D), of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. "The repetition effect observed in this research can help us to understand how our own impressions are influenced by what we perceive to be the reality of others. For example, a congressman may get multiple phone calls from a small number of constituents requesting a certain policy be implemented or changed, and from those requests must decide how voters in their state feel about the issue."
yup
I was telling Tex, I think, in one of the threads, that the big mistake parents make dealing with their school districts is taking no for an answer.
When you take no for an answer you stop repeating yourself. That's practically the definition of taking no for an answer, actually. You stop asking.
clarification: When it comes to the details, we take no for an answer all the time. No you can't move C. back up to Phase 4 if you move him down to Phase 3, no you can't have an answer key for the test prep book, no you can't visit the math class (scroll down), no you can't use the Top Secret district email list, no you can't have an open enrollment committee on character ed, no you can't distribute unauthorized handouts at the Board meeting, no you can't speak without raising your hand and stating your name for the record, no, no, NO!
But on the big stuff I just keep repeating myself.
APA press release
Inferring the Popularity of an Opinion From Its Familiarity: A Repetitive Voice Can Sound Like a Chorus (pdf file)
Thanks, Catherine. I'll try to remember that the next time I get into one of those conversations.
ReplyDeleteBut I can see the constructivists pointing to the spaced repetition research and using that to bolster their argument that spiral curriculum is just spaced repetition.
How is the EM spiral without mastery not spaced repetition?
How much repetition and at what level?
"How is the EM spiral without mastery not spaced repetition?"
ReplyDeleteIt would depend on the spiral pitch. The spiral must come around frequenly to qualify as spaced repetition, not once a year.
"The spiral must come around frequenly to qualify as spaced repetition, not once a year."
ReplyDeleteAnd they must (at least) cover one complete skill. Otherwise it's just repeated partial learning. It reminds me of people who have a hard time finishing a sentence.
In math, you don't have to cover the exact same material all over again. You can move on to new topics that require the use of the previously-learned skills. Repetition means practice, not relearning.
That's exactly my strategy from now on, for Board of Ed meetings.
ReplyDeleteThey can't stop me from giving public comments every time I go if I feel like it.
Communal reinforcement is the process by which a claim becomes a strong belief through repeated assertion by members of a community. The process is independent of whether or not the claim has been properly researched or is supported by empirical data
ReplyDeletehttp://humanist.madisonwi.us/Skeptic.htm
But I can see the constructivists pointing to the spaced repetition research and using that to bolster their argument that spiral curriculum is just spaced repetition.
ReplyDeleteSee, this is one of the things we fall prey to.
We keep thinking we have to argue logically, provide evidence, and head off constructivist co-optation of the science.
But we don't!
We can just keep repeating ourselves!
That's exactly my strategy from now on, for Board of Ed meetings.
ReplyDeleteThey can't stop me from giving public comments every time I go if I feel like it.
Absolutely!
Willingham cites fabulous research on repetition.
ReplyDeleteIf you study the same material 3 years running you still remember it 40 years later.
When I told that to my sister-in-law, a federal prosecutor, she said, "That's probably why law school lasts 3 years."
Communal reinforcement is the process by which a claim becomes a strong belief through repeated assertion by members of a community. The process is independent of whether or not the claim has been properly researched or is supported by empirical data
ReplyDeleteRight, except the cool thing is it doesn't have to be "communal."
One person with a Yahoo list can do it.
I've begun writing letters to the editor.
ReplyDeletefyi
In fact, I think I'll post....
ReplyDeleteOne person with a Yahoo list can do it.
ReplyDeleteOr one yahoo with a person list.
Or one yahoo with a person list.
ReplyDeleteYES!
YES!
I FEEL I AM PROOF OF PRINCIPLE!