Test 3 Flashcards
Spacing - Permastore
Research question: How long are things remembered for?
How good is long-term memory?
Activity: Recalling Spanish vocabulary.
Groups: Participants took multiple tests over multiple years to see how long they can remember the vocabulary for.
Results: Initially, there is a decline in retention.
There is a permastore period in the middle where retention is relatively stable.
There is a decline in retention following the permastore period.
Importance: Information can be remembered for a surprisingly long time.
Spacing - Algebra and Geometry Retention
Research question: What factors influence long-term retention?
Activity: Algebra and geometry retention.
Groups: A variety of participants took a number of algebra tests and geometry tests.
Results: There was a higher correlation between more courses taken and high test scores than good grades and high test scores.
Importance: The best predictor of retention is repeated exposure.
Spacing - Classic Spacing
Research question: How does spaced studying affect retention?
Activity: Study a new set of concepts.
Groups: The massed study group did 6 study sessions in one day.
The low-spaced study group did 1 study session per day.
The high-spaced study group did 1 study session per month.
Results: The high-spaced study group received higher test scores than the low-spaced and massed study groups.
Importance: Spaced studying is more effective than cramming.
Spacing - Two-Format Course
Research question: Does increased spacing help with learning?
Activity: Take one of two courses.
Groups: One group took a course that lasted for 8 weeks.
One group took a course that lasted for 6 months.
Results: The students in the 6 month course received higher test scores.
Importance: Spaced learning is more effective than cramming.
Spacing - Optimal Study Gap
Research question: What is the best gap between study and restudy?
Activity: Study a new set of concepts.
Groups: One group had a retrieval interval of 7 days.
One group had a retrieval interval of 35 days.
One group had a retrieval interval of 70 days.
One group had a retrieval interval of 350 days.
Results: Test scores were maximized when the study gap ranges from 10-25% of the overall study period.
Importance: The middle of study sessions should occur during 10-25% of the overall study period.
Elaboration - Pennies
Research question: Is frequent exposure enough to master a topic?
Activity: Identify which penny is a true replica of the American penny.
Groups: Participants selected their penny.
Results: The majority of the participants failed to identify the true replica of the American penny.
Importance: Engagement is an important factor in learning.
Elaboration - Rubber Duck
Research question: Does explaining a concept out loud improve the ability to solve problems?
Activity: Explain a coding process to a rubber duck.
Groups: Programmers explained coding processes to a rubber duck.
Results: Programmers were able to solve problems easier when explaining coding processes to the rubber duck.
Importance: Elaboration can help with problem solving.
Elaboration - Levels of Processing
Research question: Does the level of information processing influence memory?
Activity: Answer a variety of graphemic, phonetic, semantic, and elaborative semantic questions.
Groups: Participants answered a variety of questions.
Results: The elaborative semantic questions received the highest recognition rate.
Importance: Difficult practice is more effective than easy practice.
Elaboration - Unprompted Elaboration
Research question: Is there a correlation between elaboration and academic success?
Activity: Invent a continuation of a statement.
Groups: One academically successful group invented a continuation of a statement.
One academically unsuccessful group invented a continuation of a statement.
Results: The academically successful group wrote precise elaborations that connected the ideas in the first portion of the statement.
The academically successful group remembered more statements.
Importance: Academically successful populations are likely to be more logical.
Elaboration - Elaboration/Explanation
Research question: Does elaboration or explanation improve retention?
Activity: Read a list of sentences.
Groups: The reading group read the sentences.
The pre-explained group read the sentences and were given an explanation.
The elaboration group read the sentences and created their own explanations.
Results: The elaborative group had the highest recall rate for both tests.
Importance: Elaboration improves retention.
Elaboration - Depth of Knowledge
Research question: Does the impact of elaboration depend on knowing more or less on a subject?
Activity: Learn facts about Canadian provinces and German States.
Groups: The high domain knowledge group consisted of Canadians answering questions about Canada and Germans answering questions about Germany.
The low domain knowledge group consisted of Canadians answering questions about Germany and Germans answering questions about Canada.
Results: The high domain knowledge group received higher test scores than the low domain knowledge group.
Importance: Existing knowledge shortcuts learning time.
Elaboration - Actors
Research question - How do professional actors learn their lines?
Activity: Learn a 6-page scene.
Groups: One group consisted of professional actors.
One group consisted of novice actors.
Results: The professional actors made more elaborations of the materials.
Importance: Elaboration improves retention.
Elaboration - Problem Solving
Research question: Is elaboration helpful for problem-solving?
Activity: Complete the Wason selection task.
Groups: One no self-explanation group received no prompts and no explanations.
One concurrent self-explanation group talked themselves throughout the process.
One retrospective self-explanation group solved the problem and then talked to themselves about how they solved it.
Results: The concurrent self-explanation group received the highest accuracy scores.
Importance: Elaboration helps with problem solving.
Sleep - Interference
Research question: Does sleep improve resistance to interference?
Activity: Learn lists of paired associates.
Groups: One interference group will learn a list of paired associates, sleep, then learn a different list of paired associates, and take a test.
One interference group will learn a list of paired associates, wait 12 hours, then learn a different list of paired associates, and take a test.
One no interference group will learn a list of paired associates, sleep, and take a test.
One no interference group will learn a list of paired associates, wait 12 hours, and take a test.
Results: The groups that slept between practice and the test received higher test scores than the groups that did not sleep.
Importance: Sleep improves resistance to interference.
Sleep - Motor Skill Consolidation
Research question: Does sleep improve motor skill consolidation?
Activity: Type a series of numbers as quickly and as accurately as possible.
Groups: One group was tested before and after sleep.
One group was tested before and after sleep with hand rest.
One group was tested twice in one day.
Results: The groups that were tested after sleep received higher test scores than the groups that were tested without sleep.
Importance: Sleep improves motor skill consolidation.
