Broader benefits of the pretesting effect: Placement matters

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Memory Research

Background:

• The pretesting effect demonstrates improved memory for information that is tested before learning.
• However, the conditions influencing the broader memory benefits of pretesting on non-tested information are not well understood.
• Existing research shows variability in this broader benefit, sometimes disappearing or reversing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the placement of non-pretested information (before or after pretested information) impacts the broader memory benefits of pretesting.
• To determine if presentation order influences memory for both pretested and non-pretested lesson content.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed a pretest on half the lesson content.
• They then engaged with the lesson material (text or video) where pretested content was either presented first or last.
• Memory for both pretested and non-pretested information was assessed.

Main Results:

• Memory for non-pretested information was significantly better when it was presented before the pretested information.
• This effect was consistent across both text-based and video-based learning modalities.
• The order of information presentation critically affects the broader memory benefits.

Conclusions:

• The broader memory benefits of pretesting are influenced by the relative placement of pretested and non-pretested information within a lesson.
• Presenting non-pretested information before pretested information enhances its recall, suggesting an attentional window effect.
• Optimizing information sequencing can maximize the learning advantages conferred by pretesting.