Chapter 1, page 19
Table 1.
Definitions and examples of two new concepts
Type 1: Consistent context for new word
CRINCH: To make someone angry by performing an inappropriate act; originally used by
waitresses. Usage: when a diner fails to leave a tip; when diners argue about the prices on the menu;
when a diner deliberately spills ketchup; when diners complain about slow or inefficient service.MINGE: To gang up on a person or thing; originally used by cowboys and cowhands. Usage: when
three or more riders decide to converge on a single animal; when three or more work together to brand
an animal; when three or more encircle a wolf or other marauder to prevent its escape; when three or
more join forces against a rustler.Type 2: Varied context for new word
CRINCH: To make someone angry by performing an inappropriate act; originally used by
waitresses. Usage: when a man does not remove his hat on entering a church; when a spectator at a
public event blocks the view of those behind; when someone flicks ash over a beautifully polished
table; when diners complain about slow or inefficient service.MINGE: To gang up on a person or thing; originally used by cowboys and cowhands. Usage: when
a band of dissatisfied sailors threaten their captain with mutiny; when an audience boos a mediocre act
on stage; when someone is helpless to defend himself against attack; when a group of cowboys join
forces against a rustler.From Baddeley (1999, pp., pp. 162)
Nitsch asked students to classify new examples using the words, as in these examples:
Ɣ Is this an example of the concept CRINCH? A student says “Hey, dude!” to a teacher.
Ɣ Is this an example of the concept MINGE? A group of students talks in the hallway before class.
These examples were from new contexts unlike any of the contexts seen by students in either group.
Consistent with what my students have told me (“lots of varied examples are helpful”), the
students who read examples from varied contexts were better at generalizing to new contexts than students
who read examples from a single context. In line with these findings, this textbook incorporates as many
examples in varied contexts as possible. To keep the length of the textbook manageable, many of the
examples appear in the ancillary materials, including the web-based materials. These examples should
help you develop a deeper understanding of the key concepts in this book.
Application Problems
A second feature of each chapter is the inclusion of many application problems. My reasons for
including numerous application problems stem from my early experiences teaching educational
psychology. When I began teaching educational psychology, I quickly discovered that students who could
write and talk about concepts at an abstract level frequently found it difficult to apply these same to
concrete situations. For example, I found that my students could write fine short essays about higher-
order questions, which are teacher questions that require students to think rather than to just copy an