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The production effect benefits performance in between-subject designs: a meta-analysis
1Dalhousie University, Department of Psychology, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4J1. jmfawcet@dal.ca
Acta Psychologica
|November 13, 2012
Summary
The production effect, where producing items aids memory, is not limited to within-subject designs. This memory benefit extends to between-subject designs, challenging previous assumptions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- Producing items (e.g., saying, mouthing) enhances memory retention compared to silently reading them.
- Prior research yielded mixed results on whether this production effect is exclusive to within-subject experimental designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the production effect in memory is confined to within-subject designs.
- To determine the generalizability of the production effect across different experimental methodologies.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was employed to synthesize findings from relevant studies.
- The analysis specifically examined the production effect in both within-subject and between-subject memory tasks.
Main Results:
- A moderate production effect on recognition memory was observed in between-subject designs (g=0.37).
- This indicates that the benefits of item production are not restricted to within-subject comparisons.
Conclusions:
- The production effect is a robust phenomenon observable in between-subject memory research.
- The findings suggest that the production effect's benefits are not exclusively tied to within-subject experimental structures.
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