Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

3.7K
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
3.7K
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

58.8K
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
58.8K
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

490
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
490
Purposive Learning01:22

Purposive Learning

531
E. C. Tolman emphasized the purposiveness of behavior — the idea that much of our behavior is goal-directed. For instance, employees who aim for a promotion work diligently to meet their targets. Tolman argued that when classical conditioning and operant conditioning occur, the organism acquires certain expectations. In classical conditioning, a child might fear a dog because they expect it to bite. In operant conditioning, a person might consistently work overtime because they expect a...
531
The Placebo Effect01:54

The Placebo Effect

6.9K
The placebo effect occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation. In other words, simply expecting something to happen can actually make it happen.
6.9K
Retrieval01:12

Retrieval

471
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This ability is essential for daily tasks like brushing hair and teeth, driving to work, and performing job duties. Retrieval occurs in three ways: recall, recognition, and relearning.
Recall involves accessing information without cues, such as during an essay test, where individuals must retrieve facts and concepts from memory unaided. Another example is remembering the name of a colleague...
471

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Embedding peer assessment in MCQs has improved immediate performance but increased task duration without enhancing transfer.

Frontiers in psychology·2025
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
07:59

Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory

Published on: June 14, 2019

8.4K

Testing the testing effect on prolific: when retrieval practice fails to boost learning.

Kevin Sigayret1, Jean-François Parmentier2, Franck Silvestre3

  • 1IRIT, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse Capitole, Toulouse, France.

Frontiers in Psychology
|February 16, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The testing effect, where retrieval practice enhances learning, was not found in online crowdsourced studies. This suggests challenges in replicating cognitive effects in online research environments.

Keywords:
crowdsourced sampleseducational psychologyprolifictest-enhanced learningtesting effect

More Related Videos

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats
08:06

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

7.7K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
07:59

Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory

Published on: June 14, 2019

8.4K
Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats
08:06

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

7.7K
Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
06:35

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

Published on: April 28, 2016

35.5K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • The testing effect is a well-established phenomenon demonstrating that retrieval practice improves long-term retention.
  • Replicability of cognitive effects, like the testing effect, in online crowdsourced settings is not well understood.
  • Online platforms offer advantages for research but may present unique challenges for studying cognitive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the replicability of the testing effect in online crowdsourced experiments.
  • To examine whether the testing effect can be detected using validated materials and methods on the Prolific platform.
  • To identify potential challenges in studying learning phenomena requiring sustained cognitive engagement in online environments.

Main Methods:

  • Two preliminary experiments were conducted on the Prolific platform.
  • Participants were randomly assigned to either a retrieval-practice (test) or restudy condition.
  • Studies utilized validated learning materials, delayed posttests, corrective feedback, and both factual and application-based measures, with safeguards for engagement.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in long-term retention were found between the retrieval-practice and restudy groups at delayed testing.
  • Null findings persisted despite methodological safeguards designed to enhance participant engagement and detect the testing effect.
  • The study did not detect the robust testing effect typically observed in laboratory settings.

Conclusions:

  • The absence of the testing effect in these online studies likely reflects challenges inherent to online research environments rather than a theoretical limitation of the effect itself.
  • Investigating learning phenomena that require deep cognitive engagement may be more difficult in crowdsourced samples.
  • Researchers using online platforms should carefully consider environmental constraints when designing studies on learning and memory.