A role for familiarity in supporting the testing effect over time

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience of Memory

Background:

• The testing effect, or retrieval practice, enhances memory recall.
• Tulving's (1985) distinction between recollection and familiarity is key to understanding memory processes.
• Previous research suggests initial testing primarily boosts recollection, not familiarity, especially over short delays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mechanisms underlying the testing effect over longer retention intervals.
• To determine if initial testing influences both recollection and familiarity.
• To examine how memory processes contribute to the testing effect across different delays.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments involving word list study and cued-recall tests.
• Final recognition tests administered immediately, 1 day, or 4 days after initial learning.
• Estimates of recollection and familiarity were obtained using confidence ratings and Remember-Know-New judgments.

Main Results:

• Initial testing significantly increased estimates of both recollection and familiarity at all retention intervals.
• The testing effect on memory was observed across immediate, 1-day, and 4-day delays.
• Both receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and Remember-Know analyses confirmed these findings.

Conclusions:

• The testing effect is not solely dependent on recollection; familiarity also plays a crucial role.
• The findings challenge theories of the testing effect that attribute its benefits exclusively to enhanced recollection.
• Memory enhancement through retrieval practice involves changes in multiple memorial processes over time.