Claims

Learning biologically primary words is perceived as less difficult and less effortful than learning biologically secondary words

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q3 i3 Primary knowledge words were experienced with less difficulty (d = -0.96) and less effort (d = -0.78) than secondary knowledge words. → Kate M. Xu 2024

Evidence

Kate M. Xu 2024

Kate M. Xu, Sarah Coertjens, Florence Lespiau, Kim Ouwehand, Hanke Korpershoek, Fred Paas, David C. Geary. (2024). An Evolutionary Approach to Motivation and Learning: Differentiating Biologically Primary and Secondary Knowledge. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09880-3

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

Paired-sample t-tests on nine-point cognitive-load ratings (Paas, 1992) after each list in the same experiment. Participants "experienced less difficulty" (d = -0.96) and "less effort" (d = -0.78) for primary words, both p < 0.001.

"experienced less difficulty (t = -11.48, p < 0.001, d = -0.96; M = 4.89, SD = 1.41 for primary knowledge words; M = 5.65, SD = 1.49 for secondary knowledge words) and less effort (t = -9.35, p < 0.001, d = -0.78"

Discussion

Page metadata
Field Value
type claim
id primary-words-less-difficulty-effort
title Learning biologically primary words is perceived as less difficult and less effortful than learning biologically secondary words
description Learning biologically primary words is perceived as less difficult and less effortful than learning biologically secondary words
status review
evidence_strength moderate
newest_evidence 2024
generated by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-22
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — kate-m-xu-2024

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