ERIC Number: EJ1116000
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-7393
EISSN: N/A
The Costs and Benefits of Testing and Guessing on Recognition Memory
Huff, Mark J.; Balota, David A.; Hutchison, Keith A.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, v42 n10 p1559-1572 Oct 2016
We examined whether 2 types of interpolated tasks (i.e., retrieval-practice via free recall or guessing a missing critical item) improved final recognition for related and unrelated word lists relative to restudying or completing a filler task. Both retrieval-practice and guessing tasks improved correct recognition relative to restudy and filler tasks, particularly when study lists were semantically related. However, both retrieval practice and guessing also generally inflated false recognition for the nonpresented critical words. These patterns were found when final recognition was completed during a short delay within the same experimental session (Experiment 1) and after a 24-hr delay (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, task instructions were presented randomly after each list to determine whether retrieval-practice and guessing effects were influenced by task-expectancy processes. In contrast to Experiments 1 and 2, final recognition after retrieval practice and guessing was equivalent to restudy, suggesting that the observed retrieval-practice and guessing advantages were in part because of preparatory task-based processing during study.
Descriptors: Testing, Guessing (Tests), Memory, Retention (Psychology), Cues, Statistical Analysis, Recall (Psychology), Semantics, Comparative Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Recognition (Psychology), Control Groups, Cost Effectiveness, Paired Associate Learning, Word Lists
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Aging (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: T32AG0000039