Existing theoretical accounts attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration receive limited support¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r? · q4
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q4 i? The meta-analysis found only limited support for theories attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration, warranting consideration of alternative mechanisms. → meta-3

Evidence¶

meta-3¶

Rowland, C. A. (2014, August 25). The Effect of Testing Versus Restudy on Retention: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Testing Effect. Psychological Bulletin. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037559

q4 · i? · quant-synthesis · r?

The meta-analysis's own summary finding: "Limited support was found for existing theoretical accounts attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration", leading the author to call for alternative mechanisms.

"Limited support was found for existing theoretical accounts attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration, indicating that consideration of alternative mechanisms is warranted in explaining testing effects."

Studies bearing on this claim¶

Does retrieving improve later recall because learners elaborate the material semantically while retrieving, as this account holds? This table gathers the studies behind this claim and the 8 narrower claims that bear on it: 4 distinct studies (2 quant-synthesis, 2 review), q2–q4, 1 of 4 with an effect size coded. One row per study, codes as each entry records them; no effect is averaged and no verdict is drawn. Built by scripts/synthesize_claim.py from eval/synthesis/; a row that looks wrong is fixed on the claim it comes from.

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Question prompts improve learning — related
• Elaborative Interrogation Improves Learning — related
• The meta-analysis supports retrieval effort as a contributor to the testing effect — related
• Initial retrieval conditions that provide less cue support, such as free recall rather than recognition or fewer letter cues, tend to produce better retention despite lower initial success — related
• Whether initial retrieval practice enhances semantic organization in final free recall is unclear, with results that may depend on how retrieval practice is implemented — related
• Retrieval Practice Improves Transfer — related