Retrieval speeds context fluctuation: Why semantic generation enhances later learning but hinders prior learning

Abstract

In recent work, retrieval has been shown to enhance memory for events following that retrieval. In this set of experiments, we examined the effects of interleaved semantic retrieval on both previous and future learning within a multilist learning paradigm. Interleaved retrieval led to enhanced memory for lists learned following retrieval. In contrast, memory was impaired for lists learned prior to retrieval (Experiment 1). These results are consistent with recent work in multilist learning, directed forgetting, and list-before-last retrieval, all of which indicate a crucial role for retrieval in enhancing mental list segregation. This pattern of results follows clearly from a theoretical perspective in which retrieval drives internal contextual change and in which contextual overlap between study and test promotes better memory. Consistent with that perspective, a 15-min delay before the final test eliminated both effects (Experiment 2). Experiment 2 replicated the results of Experiment 1 with materials and assessments more appropriate for educational settings: Interleaved semantic retrieval led learners to be more able to answer questions correctly about texts studied after a retrieval event but less able to do so for texts studied earlier.

That’s not what you said the first time: A theoretical account of the relationship between consistency and accuracy of recall

“…There is no specification of the nature of these cues or what causes them to fluctuate (cf. Divis & Benjamin, 2014). Yet, it is interesting to consider what sorts of operational variables might reflect this overlap.…”

Brief wakeful resting can eliminate directed forgetting

“…For instance, according to the contextchange account of LMDF, which assumes that the forget cue enhances the difference between the two list contexts, and the view that mental context fluctuates over time (e.g., Estes, 1955;McGeoch, 1932), a music-or pictures-induced context change may shift the context sufficiently far away from the list contexts, so that the difference between the two list contexts may become relatively small and List-1 recall may no longer depend much on the originally induced mental context change, that is, the forgetting of List-1 items disappears (Divis & Benjamin, 2014;Mensink & Raaijmakers, 1988). Such proposal, however, does not only predict that List-1 forgetting should disappear when music or pictures are provided during the retention interval, but does also predict that List-1 recall in the remember condition should be impaired in the music and pictures conditions, relative to the counting and calculation conditions.…”

The role of retrieval type and feedback in test-potentiated new learning

“…One of the more curious findings in the field is that TPNL may indeed ensue not only after retrieving the previously studied material (episodic retrieval), but also after the retrieval of information unrelated to the studied material from semantic (Divis & Benjamin, 2014;Pastötter et al, 2011), or even short-term memory (Pastötter et al, 2011), although there have been unsuccessful attempts at replication (e.g. Weinstein, McDermott, Szpunar, Bäuml, & Pastötter, 2015).…”

“…They found that only the three forms of retrieval induced TPNL. In their first experiment, Divis and Benjamin (2014) adapted the procedure from Pastötter et al (2011).…”

“…In a similar study using text passages, Divis and Benjamin (2014) hypothesised that retrieval attempts enhance internal context fluctuations, which may lead to TPNL. If this scenario were true, then perhaps any interpolated task causing a context change might also produce TPNL.…”