title: Testing the limits of testing effects using completion tests.
abstract: Recent work on testing effects has shown that retrieval practice can facilitate memory even for complex prose materials (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006a, 2006b). In three experiments the current study explores the effectiveness of retrieval practice on fill-in-the-blank (FITB) tests requiring the recall of specific words or phrases from a text. Final tests included both repeated items that were directly taken from initial tests, and related items. In Experiment 1, with a 2-day delay between initial and final tests, FITB testing benefited performance only on repeated items. In Experiment 2 a 7-day delay between testing sessions led to more robust effects on repeated items. However, once again no benefits were seen for related items. In Experiment 3 the scope of retrieval was varied by comparing FITB tests to paragraph recall tests requiring retrieval of all sentences following a topic sentence. Only the more open-ended recall practice demonstrated improvements in transfer to novel questions. The results suggest that scope or type of processing required during retrieval practice is likely a critical factor in whether testing will have specific or robust benefits.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. s-hinze@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Scott R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hinze
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiley
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D011939:Mental Recall; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D013997:Time Factors; D014163:Transfer, Psychology