Direct versus Mediated Effects of Retrieval Practice¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 4 studies (2 causal, 1 quant-synthesis, 1 review), q2–q4 · 1 of 4 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

A distinction the chapter uses to organize retrieval research. Mediated effects arise when a test guides later study, informs teachers, or motivates effort; in contrast, "Any gains in learning from practicing retrieval, without restudy or feedback, represent direct effects of retrieval processes on learning". The chapter credits the mediated-effects idea to Roediger and Karpicke (2006a).

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Assessing direct effects requires that learners practice retrieval without restudying or receiving feedback afterward.

Constraints¶

The chapter states that feedback introduces mediated effects and prohibits assessing the direct mnemonic effects of retrieval, even though feedback is beneficial in educational settings.

Target Learners¶

Researchers designing retrieval practice experiments
Educators using tests and quizzes

Target Learning Objectives¶

Distinguish learning caused by the act of retrieval from learning caused by feedback, restudy, or motivation

Claims¶

Repeated Recall Without Feedback Beats Repeated Study At One Week But Not Five Minutes [+W]
Self-reported retrieval use moderated the forward benefit of cue-only JOLs: higher retrieval ratings predicted better Phase B memory and transfer only in the cue-only JOLs condition [+W] — attached 2026-10-21 from Ritter et al. (2025), which proposed "Covert-retrieval account of forward effects of judgments of learning"; tests this page's relationship.

Feedback Enhances Retrieval Practice [+M]

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2nd edition, Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21055-9

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`theory`
`title`	`Direct versus Mediated Effects of Retrieval Practice`
`description`	`A distinction the chapter uses to organize retrieval research.`
`status`	`review`
`canonical`	`True`
`generated`	by `claude/unspecified` on `2026-09-24`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `karpicke-2017`

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