Greater Neural Pattern Dissimilarity and Higher Meaningfulness in the Retrieval Stage are Enhanced by Spaced Learning

Abstract

Spaced learning research aims to find the best learning interval to improve people's learning efficiency. Although it has been studied for many years, people do not know the physiological mechanism behind it clearly. Some neural representation studies have found that under the condition of spaced learning, the representation similarity of two encoding increases, and believe that this conflicts with the classical encoding variability theory. In this experiment, we used a new experimental paradigm and a longer lag to let the Chinese university students to learn English-Chinese word pairs, and we introduced the idea of meaningful learning into the learning stage to improve the traditional keyword method experiment task. Finally, by comparing the difference (spaced learning - one-time learning) vs. difference (massed learning - one-time learning) in the final test (retrieval) stage, we get different results: there is no significant difference in ERP, At the same time, the neural spatial pattern dissimilarity (STPDS) had significant results in the parietal lobe of 400ms and the right frontal lobe of 600ms. However, we believe that there is no direct contradiction between the two experimental evidence. On the contrary, they reflect different aspects of the process of spaced learning. Based on the evidence of different neural representation evidence of encoding and retrieval, this paper presents an idea of reintegrating three classical theories, eliminates the opposition between encoding variability and defective processing, and summarizes and classifies the experimental paradigm of spaced learning.