Psychology seminar
Speaker: David Shanks (University College London)
Title: Testing your memory: The many consequences of retrieval on long-term learning and retention
Abstract: Memory tests do much more than simply permit an assessment of knowledge, they are learning events in their own right. In the classic testing effect, retention of tested material is enhanced. Here I describe evidence that testing can have another powerful effect, namely to potentiate subsequent learning. I report experiments in which taking a test at the end of a study phase enhances encoding of new foreign-language vocabulary, face-name pairs, and artists’ styles. Further experiments reveal that tests taken prior to learning can enhance acquisition even when they inevitably yield errorful responses. Strikingly, people are often unaware of the beneficial effects of tests and as a result allocate their study effort irrationally. Deepening understanding of the many consequences of retrieval is beginning to have a significant impact on learning in the classroom and beyond.
Contact
Dr Richard Shillcock
Psychology seminar
Lecture Theatre F21, Psychology Building, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ