When retrieval practice improves learning - characteristics of this testing effect and the influence of study material

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The repeated retrieval of previously studied material does not only improve recall of the retrieved material but also improves learning and memory of subsequently studied material. This effect is often termed the forward testing effect (FTE). While prior work has demonstrated the existence of the basic FTE and its generalizability to different settings and participant groups, there is not much knowledge yet about central characteristics of the effect. For instance, it is still far from clear whether the FTE depends on retrieval practice of the previously studied material or may also arise by other forms of retrieval activities. It is unclear whether the FTE is lasting and still present if the retention interval between learning and test is prolonged. In particular, however, it is unclear whether the FTE varies with material, and whether quantitatively or even qualitatively different FTEs can be created with different materials. It is the goal of this project and its series of 8 experiments to provide answers on these and other open research questions. The project also aims to provide a theoretical contribution. The currently favored explanation of the FTE, which claims that improved retrieval-induced semantic organization of the study material underlies the FTE, is contrasted with an alternative account, which predicts qualitatively different FTEs across different materials. For all research questions addressed in this project, the two accounts lead to different predictions. The project will thus lead to an extensive test of the two accounts and will drastically improve our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms mediating the FTE. During the past decade, testing effects have received a lot of attention in the literature and the media partly because considerable application potential of the FTE is seen within the educational context. By providing a first detailed picture of central characteristcs of the FTE, the results of this project will significantly contribute to this potential.