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The testing effect under divided attention.

Zachary L Buchin1, Neil W Mulligan1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|May 16, 2017
PubMed
Summary
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Retrieval practice, or the testing effect, enhances memory. Dividing attention during retrieval has minimal impact on memory modification, unlike during encoding.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Memory retrieval enhances later recall, a phenomenon known as the testing effect.
  • Dividing attention (DA) during encoding significantly impairs memory, but its effect during retrieval is less clear.
  • The memory-modifying effects of retrieval may be vulnerable to distraction, similar to encoding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of dividing attention (DA) on the memory-modifying effects of retrieval.
  • To determine if the mnemonic benefits of retrieval are disrupted by divided attention.
  • To compare the effects of DA during retrieval versus restudying on memory performance.

Main Methods:

  • Participants studied word pairs, then engaged in either restudy or retrieval under full attention (FA) or DA.

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  • Three experiments manipulated interference (material-specific or general) and ensured comparable secondary task performance.
  • A final cued-recall test assessed memory performance after Phase 2 (restudy/retrieval).

    • Main Results:

    • Retrieval practice improved final recall (testing effect), while DA impaired recall.
    • An interaction was observed: DA significantly impaired recall after restudying but had a modest effect after retrieval.
    • The testing effect was larger under DA than FA conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • The memory-encoding benefits of retrieval are resilient to divided attention.
    • Divided attention during retrieval does not substantially hinder the memory-modifying effects of retrieval.
    • Findings challenge theories suggesting retrieval's mnemonic consequences require effortful elaboration similar to encoding.