Less Constrained Practice Tests Enhance the Testing Effect for Item Memory but Not Context Memory

Giannakopoulos, Konstadena L.; McCurdy, Matthew P.; Sklenar, Allison M.; Frankenstein, Andrea N.; Levy, Pauline Urban; Leshikar, Eric D.

doi:10.5406/amerjpsyc.134.3.0321

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This is consistent with work in other memory domains showing that separate factors known to improve memory (such as encoding strategies; stimulation effects) in isolation may not be additive to yield even larger memory improvements when such separate factors are combined (Spataro et al., 2021). Understanding ways to improve memory is an important pursuit (Bjork & Benjamin, 2011; Frankenstein et al., 2020; Giannakopoulos et al., in press; Jennings et al., 2005; McCurdy, Viechtbauer, et al., 2020; Meyers et al., 2020; sklenar et al., in press; Villaseñor et al., 2021; Yonelinas, 2002), and the findings of this experiment are in line with that experimental goal.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Examining the influence of brain stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex on the self‐reference effect in memory

et al. 2021

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Past work shows that processing information in relation to the self improves memory which is known as the self-reference effect in memory. Other work suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can also improve memory. Given recent research on self-reference context memory effects (improved memory for contextual episodic details associated with self-referential processing), we were interested in examining the extent stimulation might increase the magnitude of the selfreference context memory effect. In this investigation, participants studied objects superimposed on different background scenes in either a self-reference or otherreference condition while receiving either active or sham stimulation to the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), a cortical region known to support self-reference context memory effects. Participants then completed a memory test that assessed item memory (have you seen this object before?) and context memory (with which background scene was this object paired?). Results showed a self-reference context memory effect driven by enhanced memory for stimuli processed in the self-reference compared to the other-reference condition across all participants (regardless of stimulation condition). tDCS, however, had no effect on memory. Specifically, stimulation did not increase the magnitude of the self-reference context memory effect under active compared to sham stimulation. These results suggest that stimulation of the dmPFC at encoding may not add to the memory benefits induced by self-referential processing suggesting a boundary condition to tDCS effects on memory.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Examining the influence of brain stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex on the self‐reference effect in memory

et al. 2021

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“…Overall, although Experiment 2 showed evidence of the relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory, future work should focus on manipulating feedback for both retrieval practice and restudy groups to better understand the effects on self-efficacy on memory under retrieval practice experimental conditions. Overall, finding a relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory, adds to other memory-related work that has the potential to improve memory in educational contexts (Butler & Rodiger, 2007 ; Giannakopoulos et al, 2021 ; McCurdy et al, 2021 ; McCurdy et al, 2019 ; McCurdy et al, in press; McCurdy, Viechtbauer, et al, 2020 ; McDaniel et al, 2007 ). One practical implication of this work is that conditions that give (or imply) negative feedback to students in educational settings may not be motivating, but instead may have the unintended effect of leading to poorer performance on academic tasks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

Exploring the relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory

et al. 2022

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Retrieval practice effect refers to improved memory on a final test for information retrieved one or more times. Although past theoretical work identifies cognitive mechanisms to explain retrieval practice benefits, it is possible that improving self-efficacy during learning may also contribute to better memory, in line with limited past work showing a relationship between self-efficacy and memory. Across two experiments, we examine the potential relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory. In Experiment 1 , we examined the extent change in self-efficacy accounted for improved memory on a final test after retrieval practice compared with restudy. In Experiment 2 , we gave participants (false) feedback that was either negative (i.e., you performed worse than others), neutral (i.e., you performed the same as others), or positive (i.e., you performed better than others) to more directly assess the effects of self-efficacy on memory under retrieval practice conditions. Results of Experiment 1 showed a significant retrieval practice effect, with memory on the final test being better after retrieval practice compared with restudy. Self-efficacy did not significantly mediate the retrieval practice effect. Results of Experiment 2, however, showed that decreases in self-efficacy due to (false) negative feedback resulted in worse memory performance compared with neutral feedback. Such findings may suggest that change in self-efficacy after retrieval practice attempts, particularly negative feedback, affects memory at final test. Overall, these findings suggest a relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory, and imply that interventions that influence self-efficacy may be a plausible mechanism to modulate memory under some conditions.

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“…Future work should investigate the influence of prediction outcomes on memory for other varieties of future thinking such as simulations, and they should further do so in tasks that are more reliant on semantic memory representations to better understand the relationship between future thinking and memory. Understanding episodic memory is an important pursuit (Jennings & Jacoby, 1993; Giannakopoulos et al., 2021; Leach et al., 2018; Matzen et al., 2015; McCurdy, Frankenstein, et al., 2020; McCurdy & Leshikar, in press; McCurdy, Viechtbauer, et al., 2020; McCurdy et al., 2017, 2019, 2021; Yonelinas, 2002), and this work contributes to that effort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

et al. 2022

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Evidence suggests that memory is involved in making simulations and predictions about the future (i.e., future thinking), but less work has examined how the outcome of those predictions (whether events play out as predicted or expected) subsequently affects episodic memory. In this investigation, we examine whether memory is better for outcomes that are consistent with predictions, or whether memory is enhanced for outcomes that are inconsistent with predictions, after the predicted event occurs. In this experiment, participants learned a core trait associated with social targets (e.g., high in extroversion), before making predictions about behaviors targets would perform. Participants then were shown behaviors the social targets actually performed (i.e., prediction outcome), which was either consistent or inconsistent with predictions.After that, participants completed a memory test (recognition; recall) for the prediction outcomes. For recognition, the results revealed better memory for outcomes that were consistent with traits associated with targets (i.e., trait-consistent outcomes), compared to outcomes that were inconsistent (i.e., trait-inconsistent outcomes). Finding a memory advantage for trait-consistent outcomes suggests that outcomes that are in line with the contents of memory (e.g., what one knows; schemas) are more readily remembered than those that are inconsistent with memory, which may reflect an adaptive memory process. For recall, memory did not differ between trait-consistent and trait-inconsistent outcomes. Altogether, the results of this experiment advance understanding of the reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking and show that outcome of predictions has an influence on subsequent episodic memory, at least as measured by recognition.

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Less Constrained Practice Tests Enhance the Testing Effect for Item Memory but Not Context Memory

Cited by 13 publications

References 44 publications

Examining the influence of brain stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex on the self‐reference effect in memory

Examining the influence of brain stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex on the self‐reference effect in memory

Exploring the relationship between retrieval practice, self-efficacy, and memory

The reciprocal relationship between episodic memory and future thinking: How the outcome of predictions is subsequently remembered

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