The testing effect under divided attention

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Zachary L Buchin, N W Mulligan

Abstract

Memory retrieval often enhances later memory compared with restudying (i.e., the testing effect), indicating that retrieval does not simply reveal but also modifies memory representations. Dividing attention (DA) during encoding greatly disrupts later memory performance while DA during retrieval typically has modest effects-but what of the memory-modifying effects of retrieval? If these effects are similar to study-based encoding, they should be greatly disrupted by DA, a possibility consistent with elaborative and effortful accounts of the testing effect. Alternatively, the mnemonic consequences of retrieval may be largely resilient to distraction, like retrieval itself. In 3 experiments, participants studied word pairs (Phase 1) then engaged in restudy of some pairs and retrieval of others (Phase 2), followed by a final cued-recall test (Phase 3). Phase 2 restudy and retrieval occurred under full attention (FA) or DA. The experiments were designed to induce either material-specific (Experiments 1 and 2) or material-general (Experiment 3) interference, as well as to produce comparable secondary task performance between the restudy and retrieval groups (Experiments 2 and 3). Consistent with prior research, retrieval improved fi...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 13, 2019·The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP·Zachary L Buchin, Neil W Mulligan
Apr 10, 2020·Memory·Daniel J Peterson, Kathryn Wissman
May 31, 2019·Memory·Brendan A SchuetzeSean H K Kang
Apr 26, 2019·Frontiers in Psychology·Saeko TanakaNobuyoshi Iwaki
Dec 16, 2019·Neuropsychologia·Ruth A Shaffer, Kathleen B McDermott
Apr 10, 2021·Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior·Paige R NicklasPeter J McLaughlin

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