Interpolated Testing Enhances Learning by Changing Test Expectancyh

Recently, many cognitive psychology researchers have focused their work on the forward testing effect. The robust effect provides evidence that taking a test following the study of material enhances learning of new material (Chan, Meissner, Davis, 2018). However, most students do not test themselves while studying. Or if they do, they do not do so consistently. The forward testing effect is typically shown through a paradigm in which students study word lists either completing interpolated tests or not completing interpolated tests (both conditions take a final test and the scores are compared). Past research has not examined whether the forward testing effect will persist if a student does not continue to test themselves: a realistic pattern of students. This is the focus of this experiment. Here, the same paradigm is employed including an additional condition which students are tested after the first few lists and not tested over later lists. Moreover, inspired by Weinstein et al. (2014), we tested the prediction that interpolated tests changes test expectancy: further benefiting students’ learning by altering attention and strategy employment