title: Why is test-restudy practice beneficial for memory? An evaluation of the mediator shift hypothesis.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Psychology, Kent State University, USA. mpyc@wustl.edu
authors: Mary A
authors: MA
authors: Pyc
authors: Katherine A
authors: KA
authors: Rawson
mesh_terms: D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014825:Vocabulary