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In this bite-size research episode, Althea describes a study about how attention affects learning with retrieval practice when students are studying on their own by Neil Mulligan and Milton Picklesimer (2016).

Generally, they found students tend to forget after a delay, but retrieval practice improves memory after a delay. It is better not to be distracted (divided attention) when rereading. However, the students’ learning was not as affected by divided attention when they practiced retrieval. Retrieval practice seems to be a particularly resilient strategy!

Re-created figure from Mullican & Picklesimer (2016) study 2.

References:

Mulligan, N. W., & Picklesimer, M. (2016). Attention and the testing effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(6), 938-950.

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