A model of learning and problem-solving is being developed and tested. According to the model, people's performance on memory or problem-solving tasks can be based on either recall or specific previous events and problems (i.e., """"""""episodic"""""""" encoding and retrieval), or on recall of rules and concepts people have abstracted from those experiences (i.e., """"""""abstraction-based"""""""" encoding and retrieval). According to the model, series of learning events which are consistent in encouraging one or the other of these types of representation result in the most accessible mental portrayals and the most efficient problem-solving. Results from a series of experiments investigating learning and transfer effects on memory and problem-solving have supported the model.
