The Transfer Model of Baldwin and Ford (1988)

Content of the Study

The influences were grouped into three factors: participant characteristics, measure characteristics and the working environment. All of these factors have a direct impact on content learning and retention. At the same time, the participant characteristics and measure characteristics also have a direct influence on the generalization of knowledge and the maintenance of transfer. The measure characteristics, on the other hand, only have an indirect influence on the actual transfer through learning and retention. Empirical studies were listed for all influences. Baldwin and Ford tried to structure the existing literature and provide new impetus for further research. From these, in turn, more concrete tips for practice can be derived.

Practical Advice

• There are a large number of factors that influence the transfer of a training. The model from Baldwin and Ford offers an initial orientation for considering possible influencing factors.
• For the measurement of transfer, it is crucial how it is measured. Appropriate criteria must be applied here that can actually be verified. A pure self-assessment by the participants is usually not enough.
• Even if the selection of the trainee is often not possible due to personal characteristics, the transfer can be increased by adjusting the other factors accordingly.
• The transfer is not a static, but a highly dynamic process. What is positive for one training session can be negative for the next.
• The maintenance of the transfer can proceed in different patterns. For example, it can drop again immediately after training or even increase after training.

Quick Facts:

Source: T.T. Baldwin & J. K. Ford (1988): Transfer of training: A review and directions for future research. Personalell Psychology 41 (1), pp. 63-105.

Method: Literature review

Field of Expertise: Psychology

This article comes from the Xing group Science meets HRD