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Retrieval practice: the lack of transfer to deductive inferences
Randy Tran1, Doug Rohrer, Harold Pashler
1Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC0109, La Jolla, CA, 92092-0109, USA, r4tran@ucsd.edu.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|May 20, 2014
Summary
Retrieval practice, or testing, improves memory recall but does not enhance deductive reasoning skills. This study found no benefit of retrieval practice on making inferences from learned information.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Retrieval practice enhances memory recall.
- Its effect on deductive inference is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if retrieval practice transfers to deductive inferences.
- To determine if testing improves inferential skills.
Main Methods:
- Participants studied premises.
- They reviewed information via rereading or fill-in-the-blank tests.
- Performance on recall and inference tests was measured.
Main Results:
- Testing improved recall of studied premises.
- Retrieval practice did not enhance performance on inference questions.
Conclusions:
- Retrieval practice benefits direct recall but not deductive inference.
- The transfer of retrieval benefits to higher-order reasoning is limited.
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