Taking a multiple-choice test produces a testing effect on later cued recall, but testing without study or feedback can be net harmful¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2008 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 The no-feedback tested condition produced a significantly greater proportion of correct responses than the no-test condition, showing the basic testing effect. → Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III 2008 q3 i? In the no-study–no-feedback condition, intrusions exceeded correct responses, so testing hurt relative to not testing. → Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III 2008 (2)

Evidence¶

Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III 2008¶

Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III. (2008). Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple-choice testing. Memory & Cognition, 36(3), 604-616. https://doi.org/10.3758/MC.36.3.604

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

Comparison of the tested (no-feedback) condition against the no-test control on forced-report cued recall, d = .97. The article calls this the basic testing effect, generally quite robust.

"an additional t test revealed that the no-feedback condition (which received a test ) produced a si gnificantly greater proportion of correct responses than did the no-test condi-tion [t(71) 9.11, SEM 0.018, d .97, prep 1.00], showing the basic testing effect."

Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III 2008 (2)¶

Andrew C. Butler and Henry L. Roediger III. (2008). Feedback enhances the positive effects and reduces the negative effects of multiple-choice testing. Memory & Cognition, 36(3), 604-616. https://doi.org/10.3758/MC.36.3.604

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Descriptive comparison in the no-study–no-feedback condition: intrusions (M = .32) exceeded correct responses (M = .18), whereas the no-study–no-test condition produced fewer correct responses (M = .10) and fewer spontaneous intrusions (M = .17). No test statistic is printed for this contrast.

"the proportion of intrusions produced (M(( .32) was substantially greater than the proportion of correct responses (M(( .18)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Feedback Enhances Retrieval Practice — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Feedback neutralizes the effect of prior study on final cued recall performance — related
• Feedback on a multiple-choice test sharply reduces lure intrusions on a later cued recall test, with immediate and delayed schedules equally effective — related
• Taking initial multiple-choice tests without feedback can lead students to later produce the incorrect lure answers they selected, even when an overall retrieval practice benefit occurs — related
• Initial short-answer tests outperform initial multiple-choice tests mainly when feedback follows them; without feedback, the higher initial success of multiple-choice tests can favor multiple-choice — related
• Immediate feedback reduces multiple-choice lure production on later tests, and the overall positive effect of testing outweighs negative consequences — related
• Multiple-choice testing increases the later production of multiple-choice lures as answers on cued recall tests, even under warning against guessing — related
• Multiple-choice testing improves later cued recall of prose facts, a benefit that persists though reduced after a one-week delay — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Practice with feedback—either correct-answer or explanatory—produces better memory than lecture, in both multiple-choice and open-ended formats — related
• Within the feedback condition, students rated test taking and receiving feedback as equally useful for monitoring their performance — related
• Feedback improves confidence calibration, and prior lure exposure inflates confidence in intrusions — related