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Related Concept Videos

Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
Cross-Sectional Research01:50

Cross-Sectional Research

In cross-sectional research, a researcher compares multiple segments of the population at the same time. If they were interested in people's dietary habits, the researcher might directly compare different groups of people by age. Instead of following a group of people for 20 years to see how their dietary habits changed from decade to decade, the researcher would study a group of 20-year-old individuals and compare them to a group of 30-year-old individuals and a group of 40-year-old...
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Two-Way ANOVA

The two-way ANOVA is an extension of the one-way ANOVA. It is a statistical test performed on three or more samples categorized by two factors - a row factor and a column factor. Ronald Fischer mentioned it in 1925 in his book 'Statistical Methods for Researchers.'
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Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs01:23

Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs

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Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

The generation effect: a meta-analytic review.

Sharon Bertsch1, Bryan J Pesta, Richard Wiscott

  • 1University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, USA. bertsch@pitt.edu

Memory & Cognition
|July 25, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Generating information, like producing synonyms, significantly improves memory recall compared to simply reading it. This generation effect, a key finding in cognitive psychology, shows a substantial memory benefit.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • The generation effect is a well-documented phenomenon in memory research.
  • It describes the enhanced recall of self-generated information compared to read information.
  • Understanding its magnitude and moderators is crucial for learning theories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantitatively assess the magnitude of the generation effect across numerous studies.
  • To identify and analyze potential moderators influencing the strength of the generation effect.
  • To provide empirical evidence for theoretical explanations of the generation effect.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a meta-analysis of 86 studies.
  • Synthesized 445 effect sizes related to the generation effect.
  • Examined 11 potential moderator variables impacting memory performance.

Main Results:

  • The overall generation effect size was .40, indicating a significant memory advantage for generated information.
  • Substantial variability in effect sizes was observed across studies.
  • Moderator analyses revealed factors influencing the strength of the generation effect.

Conclusions:

  • The generation effect provides a robust memory benefit, nearly half a standard deviation over reading.
  • Moderator analysis helps refine theories explaining why generating information enhances memory.
  • Findings support the development of more effective learning strategies based on active information generation.