Improving cross-content transfer in text processing by means of active graphical representation

The two studies presented investigate the conditions under which adults with different academic backgrounds (in terms of formal mathematical competencies and domain-specific knowledge in economics) use linear graphs as reasoning tools that can be transferred from one economic content area to another. In each of the studies, two groups of participants were presented with a text on stockkeeping. One group passively encountered a linear graph, while the other group was asked to actively construct this graph following the instructions provided. To control for transfer effects of content knowledge, a third group received a text on direct costing, a topic also dealt with in the transfer text. The groups were compared with respect to their transfer potential in processing a text dealing with the revenue functions and break-even points of two companies. Questions posed in this text could be easily answered by constructing a linear graph similar to that encountered in the stockkeeping text. Two studies with a total of 281 university and vocational school students confirmed that active graphical representation can be a powerful transfer tool.