Initial testing of conceptual definitions and their sources improves memory recall in future testing

• Main Author: Chan, Rowena Chu Quan
• Other Authors: Michael Donald Patterson
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/62632
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Past research examining the testing phenomenon did not explore further on the initial testing of seemingly identical complex stimuli along with the initial testing of source knowledge. This is highly relevant to individuals, especially students, who are often befuddled by similar concepts learned across different sources. Hence, this study has examined whether the presence of the initial testing of conceptual definitions from multiple sources (i.e. Lecturer, textbook, a random person and initial source recognition testing would improve accurate memory recall. This study has also examined whether memory recall performance of participants in the Initial Testing condition would differ on their Initial tests and Final tests. Results did not show any significant differences between both the Initial Testing condition and the No Initial Testing condition and within the Initial Testing condition, significant interaction effects were not established between presence of initial testing and type of source or between the type of test (i.e. Initial and Final) and the type of source. Type of source as it was remembered did not have a significant main effect on accurate memory recall (i.e. number of correct definitions), however, the type of source originally labeled did have a significant main effect, with most correct definitions coming from a random person, followed by the lecturer and lastly, a textbook. Limitations such as the complexity of this study, stimuli used and sample size and future directions were then discussed.