4.3 Article

Why Is Test-Restudy Practice Beneficial for Memory? An Evaluation of the Mediator Shift Hypothesis

Publisher

AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
DOI: 10.1037/a0026166

Keywords

testing effects; retrieval practice; mediator use; mediator shift hypothesis

Funding

  1. James S. McDonnell Foundation 21st Century Science Initiative in Bridging Brain, Mind and Behavior

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Although the memorial benefits of testing are well established empirically, the mechanisms underlying this benefit are not well understood. The authors evaluated the mediator shift hypothesis, which states that test-restudy practice is beneficial for memory because retrieval failures during practice allow individuals to evaluate the effectiveness of mediators and to shift from less effective to more effective mediators. Across a series of experiments, participants used a keyword encoding strategy to learn word pairs with test-restudy practice or restudy only. Robust testing effects were obtained in all experiments, and results supported predictions of the mediator shift hypothesis. First, a greater proportion of keyword shifts occurred during test restudy practice versus restudy practice. Second, a greater proportion of keyword shifts occurred after retrieval failure trials versus retrieval success trials during test restudy practice. Third, a greater proportion of keywords were recalled on a final keyword recall test after test restudy versus restudy practice.

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