Fact learning: how information accuracy, delay, and repeated testing change retention and retrieval experience

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Classroom studies indicate that the subjective experience of factual knowledge changes over time.
• Pedagogical constraints often limit the investigation of errors and the distinct effects of delay and repeated testing on memory retention and retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how information accuracy, delay, and repeated testing influence memory retention and the phenomenology of retrieval.
• To differentiate the effects of delay and testing on the subjective experience of remembering versus knowing information.

Main Methods:

• Participants read stories containing both correct and misleading information.
• Judgements of remembering, knowing, and familiarity were collected immediately and after a 2-day delay.
• General knowledge tests were administered to assess retention and retrieval experience.

Main Results:

• Over a 2-day delay, information shifted from a "Remembered" to a "Just Known" state, a shift attenuated by repeated testing.
• Similar retrieval patterns were observed for correct and misleading information.
• The shift towards "Just Knowing" was significantly more pronounced for correct information compared to misleading information.

Conclusions:

• Information accuracy, delay intervals, and testing frequency are critical factors influencing memory retention.
• The subjective experience of retrieval (remembering vs. knowing) is modulated by information accuracy and testing protocols.
• Findings highlight the dynamic nature of memory and the importance of considering information veracity in retrieval studies.