Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Block AS4, 9 Arts Link, Singapore, 117570, Singapore.
Psychon Bull Rev. 2022 Feb;29(1):220-229. doi: 10.3758/s13423-021-01989-8. Epub 2021 Aug 13.
The learning benefits of retrieval practice have been linked to reduced mind-wandering, but the reasons why testing offers such an attentional advantage have scarcely been explored. Here, we investigate the extent that the inherent change in learning context during retrieval practice (i.e., interleaved study and retrieval) attenuates mind-wandering, relative to restudy (i.e., massed study). Learners (N = 120) either restudied video lectures (SSSS) or engaged in a combination of study and retrieval (SRSR). Further, they used either the same study mode - the video lecture (S) or its corresponding transcript (S') only (i.e., SSSS or S'S'S'S'; SRSR or S'RS'R), or different study modes - alternated between the video and its transcript (i.e., SS'SS' or S'SS'S; SRS'R or S'RSR). Learners' mind-wandering tendencies were captured using a direct-probing approach, and a free-recall test was administered 1 week later. Retrieval practice produced less mind-wandering than restudy, and this attentional difference mediated the recall advantage of retrieval practice. Of note, in the restudy condition, alternating between study modes inoculated against mind-wandering relative to using the same mode, but only for as long as the study mode remained "new" to learners - when they returned to a previously encountered "old" study mode, mind-wandering surged. In contrast, retrieval practice consistently sustained learners' attention over time, whether or not their study modes were the same or different. Theoretical implications for an attentional account of retrieval-based learning are discussed.
检索练习的学习益处与减少思维 wandered 有关，但测试提供这种注意力优势的原因几乎没有得到探索。在这里，我们研究了在检索练习（即穿插学习和检索）期间学习环境的固有变化相对于复习（即集中学习）在多大程度上减轻思维 wandered。学习者（N = 120）要么复习视频讲座（SSSS），要么进行学习和检索的组合（SRSR）。此外，他们要么只使用相同的学习模式——视频讲座（S）或其对应的文字记录（S'）（即 SSSS 或 S'S'S'S；SRSR 或 S'RS'R），要么使用不同的学习模式——在视频和文字记录之间交替（即 SS'SS' 或 S'SS'S；SRS'R 或 S'RSR）。学习者的思维 wandered 倾向使用直接探测方法捕获，并在 1 周后进行自由回忆测试。检索练习比复习产生的思维 wandered 更少，这种注意力差异介导了检索练习的回忆优势。值得注意的是，在复习条件下，在学习模式之间交替使用相对于使用相同模式可以预防思维 wandered，但前提是学习模式对学习者来说仍然是“新的”——当他们回到之前遇到的“旧”学习模式时，思维 wandered 会激增。相比之下，检索练习无论学习模式是否相同或不同，都能持续保持学习者的注意力。讨论了检索式学习的注意力解释的理论意义。
