State‐of‐the‐Art Research into Multimedia Learning: A Commentary on Mayer's Handbook of Multimedia Learning

This article reviews the research into multimedia learning through the lens of a recently updated Handbook of Multimedia Learning edited by Richard Mayer. By examining the theories underpinning the research and the major experimental findings, a number of conclusions emerged. Firstly, the major theories and models guiding the research are well accepted and based on classical memory research, although there is a need to extend them to the affective domain. Secondly, most of the boundary conditions for effective learning from basic multimedia materials (e.g. explanatory words and pictures) have been identified. Thirdly, for more complex learning environments (e.g. games and computer‐based tutors), much less is known, and more research is required to untangle the various moderating factors. Fourthly, there is a need for further investigations that match specific instructional strategies (e.g. self‐explanations) with multimedia materials to find the most effective learning combination. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hunts,Heinz, and Fries Priming ‘Ketchup’: The Effects of Lexicality on Brand Name–Product Associations and Brand Memory

Brand names should be memorable and easy to associate with the product. The present study investigated how brand name lexicality affects accessibility in memory. In Experiment 1, participants completed a primed lexical decision task (LDT) in which primes were real‐word brands (RWB; e.g., SATURN), nonword brands (NWB; e.g., KIA), or semantic associates (e.g., TIRE) and targets were product categories (e.g., car). NWB primes resulted in equivalent priming as semantic primes and were recalled more than RWBs in a free‐recall task. In Experiment 2, participants completed an unprimed LDT or brand decision task (BDT). In LDT, high NWB error rates reflected greater familiarity. In BDT, many RWBs were not recognized as brands. In Experiment 3, a primed BDT with brand names as targets indicated that NWBs and RWBs are equally primed by a related category label. Overall, NWBs appear to be more familiar and memorable, possibly because of distinctiveness. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early maladaptive schemas and non-suicidal self-injury among young adults: A preliminary investigation

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) represents a critical mental health issue among young adults. Accordingly, it is important to understand potentially modifiable processes involved in its enactment. The current investigation built on previous work to better understand the nature of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in the context of NSSI. One hundred and thirty young adults completed questionnaires assessing NSSI history, EMS and depressive symptoms. Results indicate that EMS may play a role in NSSI engagement after controlling for depressive symptoms. Specifically, higher scores on social isolation and emotional inhibition and possibly lower scores on entitlement/grandiosity schemas may differentiate those who self-injure from those who do not. Furthermore, higher levels of dependence/incompetence schema may differentiate those who report a higher NSSI frequency and those who report a less frequent NSSI history. Although a nascent area of study, our findings suggest that it may be fruitful to consider conceptualizing NSSI within a schema therapy framework.