The within-list distributed practice effect: Tests of the varied context and varied encoding hypotheses

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Memory Research

Background:

• The multiple-process distinctiveness (MP-DP) effect describes how memory performance is influenced by the distinctiveness of encoded information.
• Existing hypotheses suggest that both varied encoding and varied context contribute to this effect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To independently test the varied encoding and varied context hypotheses of the MP-DP effect.
• To examine how manipulating encoding distinctiveness and contextual changes affects memory recall.

Main Methods:

• Incidental learning procedure with manipulated orienting tasks to vary encoding (attending to different vs. single word attributes).
• Target items were presented in either consistent or changing list contexts across trials.

Main Results:

• Recall of MP-DP items was not comparable under equivalent encoding levels as predicted.
• Differences in recall were observed between same and varied encoding conditions.
• An MP-DP effect was evident under incidental learning.
• Recall of items in different contexts did not exceed recall in the same context.

Conclusions:

• Encoding distinctiveness plays a role in the MP-DP effect, as evidenced by recall differences under varied encoding conditions.
• The varied context hypothesis was not supported; contextual changes did not enhance recall as predicted.