Hierarchical concept maps: Effect on writing

The purpose of the present research was to examine the effect on writing of using a hierarchical concept map, which is a kind of diagrammatic external representation, in prewriting. Participants were 96 undergraduate women. T he effect of working with an external representation in planning writing wa s examined by comparing participants who used lists that were sentential ex ternal representations and participants who used no prewriting and wrote by a knowledge-telling strategy. Also examined was the effect of causal relat ions that had been expressed in prewriting which appeared in the written pr oduct. The written products of participants who used external representatio n in prewriting were quantitatively and qualitatively more excellent than t hose of participants who did no prewriting. When participants who did prewr iting were compared, those in the concept map group who used a diagrammatic external representation for their prewriting were able to produce more und erstandable writing in a shorter time than those in the listing group.