Examining the flexibility, durability, and applicability of the testing effect in natural concept learning

The testing effect demonstrates that testing yourself on information is an effective way to enhance learning and memory. One exceptional characteristic of the testing effect is its generalizability over time and circumstance. The memorial benefits of testing have been extended to tasks across many domains, including inference on previously unstudied material. The benefits of testing are also long-lasting. It has been claimed that testing reduces the rate information is forgotten over time, compared to rote restudy. Undoubtedly, testing is a powerful study strategy, yet it continues to be overlooked and undervalued by learners and educators, many of whom use tests merely as means of assessment. The experiments reported here evaluate inference and memory over time, following testing or restudy of members of natural categories. In Experiments 1 and 2 memory and generalization were tested shortly after initial study and again after varying delays. Results from these experiments indicate that retrieval practice does indeed enhance inference for novel members of previously learned categories, and that the benefits are maintained over the duration of these experiments – up to 25 days. An analysis of forgetting rates indicates that retrieval practice does not, however, slow forgetting as compared with restudy. Results from Experiment 3 replicate the findings that testing does not appear to reduce forgetting, but is a potent means of enhancing inference, with long-lasting benefits to memory and inference. Experiments 3 and 4 explored metacognitive awareness and control of testing as a study strategy. Results showed that learners can be appreciative of the benefits of testing and can exert somewhat effective control over their own learning. Together, these studies show that testing remains an incredibly powerful study tool.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Siler, Jessica

Contributors dc:contributor

• Benjamin, Aaron
• Dell, Gary
• Sahakyan, Lili
• Montag, Jessica
• Morrow, Daniel

• Psychology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2021 Jessica Siler

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113805

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F113805