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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
07:59

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Published on: June 14, 2019

When is guessing incorrectly better than studying for enhancing memory?

Kalif E Vaughn1, Katherine A Rawson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242-0001, USA. kvaughn4@kent.edu

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|June 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Incorrect guessing may hinder memory more than studying, contrary to prior research. However, the timing of subsequent study significantly impacts whether guessing or studying benefits memory.

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Last Updated: May 21, 2026

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07:59

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A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test
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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology

Background:

  • Prior research suggested incorrect guessing enhances memory more than studying.
  • This study investigates factors moderating the guessing advantage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if incorrect guessing benefits memory more than studying.
  • To explore how the timing of subsequent study influences the effectiveness of guessing versus studying.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted to test the effects of incorrect guessing and study timing on memory performance.
  • Participants' memory was tested after varying intervals between initial learning/guessing and subsequent study opportunities.

Main Results:

  • Experiment 1 found incorrect guessing led to worse performance than studying.
  • Experiment 2 revealed a crossover interaction: guessing was better with immediate study, while studying was better with delayed study.
  • The spacing effect was observed for studied items but not for guessed items, and a source-monitoring account was not supported.

Conclusions:

  • The effectiveness of incorrect guessing compared to studying is moderated by the timing of subsequent study opportunities.
  • The absence of a spacing effect for guessed items warrants further investigation into underlying mechanisms.