Chapter 20 Further Reading: Transfer

Primary Sources

Chi, M. T. H., Feltovich, P. J., & Glaser, R. — "Categorization and Representation of Physics Problems by Experts and Novices" (1981, Cognitive Science, 5(2), 121–152) The foundational paper on surface feature vs. deep structure categorization. This is the research that showed physics experts sort problems by principle while novices sort by equipment. If you read one paper on transfer, this should be it — it's readable, the experiment is elegant, and the implications are profound. The finding has been replicated across multiple domains.

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.) — How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (National Academy Press, 2000; updated 2018) Chapters on transfer (particularly Chapter 3) are among the best accessible syntheses of transfer research available. Written by a National Academy committee, this is authoritative and evidence-grounded. Free to read online through the National Academies Press.

Barnett, S. M., & Ceci, S. J. — "When and Where Do We Apply What We Learn? A Taxonomy of Far Transfer" (2002, Psychological Bulletin, 128(4), 612–637) A comprehensive taxonomy of transfer that identifies multiple dimensions on which near and far transfer can vary. Useful for thinking more precisely about what kind of transfer you're trying to achieve.

Theoretical Foundations

Tulving, E., & Thomson, D. M. — "Encoding Specificity and Retrieval Processes in Episodic Memory" (1973, Psychological Review, 80(5), 352–373) The original encoding specificity paper. Technical but foundational for understanding why context affects retrieval and how memory is structured in ways that either support or hinder transfer.

Gentner, D. — "Structure-Mapping: A Theoretical Framework for Analogy" (1983, Cognitive Science, 7(2), 155–170) The foundational paper on analogical reasoning — explaining what's actually being transferred in analogy (relational structure, not surface properties). Essential for understanding why and how analogical thinking supports transfer.

Whitehead, A. N. — The Aims of Education and Other Essays (1929) The source of the "inert knowledge" concept. Whitehead argues that the primary failure of traditional education is producing knowledge that exists in isolation from application — concepts learned in the context of "this is a school subject" rather than in the context of their actual use. Philosophically rich; directly relevant to transfer.

Supporting Research

Gick, M. L., & Holyoak, K. J. — "Analogical Problem Solving" (1980, Cognitive Psychology, 12(3), 306–355) Classic experiments showing that learners often fail to recognize structural analogies between problems — and that providing a hint that the problems are related dramatically improves transfer. Demonstrates both the difficulty of spontaneous analogical transfer and the possibility of scaffolded transfer.

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. — "Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention" (2006, Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255) The testing effect paper is relevant to transfer: retrieval practice in varied contexts builds more context-independent (and therefore more transferable) encoding than study alone.

Accessible Reading

Detterman, D. K. — "The Case for the Prosecution: Transfer as an Epiphenomenon" (1993, in Transfer on Trial: Intelligence, Cognition, and Instruction) A deliberately provocative argument that transfer is nearly impossible to achieve deliberately. Worth reading as a counterpoint to optimistic accounts of transfer — it will sharpen your appreciation for how difficult far transfer actually is and why intentional design for it matters.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. — "Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning" (1989, Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32–42) The situated learning perspective argues that knowledge is fundamentally tied to the context of its acquisition — which has important implications for transfer. A different lens on the same problem.

For Educators

Perkins, D. N., & Salomon, G. — "Teaching for Transfer" (1988, Educational Leadership, 46(1), 22–32) A practical, accessible article on designing instruction specifically to promote transfer. The "hugging and bridging" strategies introduced here are widely cited in educational design contexts.