Effect of target detection on the testing effect

A change in the recognition decision criterion occurs when target-detection tasks are conducted concurrently with memory retrieval tasks, in which words presented alongside the target are perceived more frequently as previously learned. This raises the question: Does target detection during memory retrieval enhance the processing of concurrently presented old words? This study employed the classic testing effects paradigm to investigate whether performing target detection in the second phase of retrieval practice influences the testing effect, thereby elucidating the broader impact of target detection on memory retrieval. Furthermore, repeated study conditions were introduced to compare with retrieval practice conditions. The results showed that, in both the retrieval practice and repeated study conditions, words presented with the target stimulus in the second phase were recognized better in the final test than those presented with distractor stimuli. These results indicate that performing target-detection tasks in both the repeated study and retrieval practice phases can boost background information processing. Therefore, performing a target detection task during memory retrieval increases the rate of positive recognition responses in a final memory test, and this increased rate could be due to enhanced encoding processes when a target is detected. Target detection may trigger temporal selective attention mechanisms when targets and old words are presented simultaneously, thereby facilitating the processing of the concurrently presented words.