Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests.
People learn better when re-study opportunities are replaced with tests. While researchers have begun to speculate on why testing is superior to study, few studies have directly examined the neural underpinnings of this effect. In this fMRI study, participants engaged in a study phase to learn arbit...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3960161?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818333856303939584 |
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| author | Xiaonan L Liu Peipeng Liang Kuncheng Li Lynne M Reder |
| author_facet | Xiaonan L Liu Peipeng Liang Kuncheng Li Lynne M Reder |
| author_sort | Xiaonan L Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | People learn better when re-study opportunities are replaced with tests. While researchers have begun to speculate on why testing is superior to study, few studies have directly examined the neural underpinnings of this effect. In this fMRI study, participants engaged in a study phase to learn arbitrary word pairs, followed by a cued recall test (recall second half of pair when cued with first word of pair), re-study of each pair, and finally another cycle of cued recall tests. Brain activation patterns during the first test (recall) of the studied pairs predicts performance on the second test. Importantly, while subsequent memory analyses of encoding trials also predict later accuracy, the brain regions involved in predicting later memory success are more extensive for activity during retrieval (testing) than during encoding (study). Those additional regions that predict subsequent memory based on their activation at test but not at encoding may be key to understanding the basis of the testing effect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:58:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8b7a4397a5584a30b2cb7e95a3c4a89f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:58:17Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-8b7a4397a5584a30b2cb7e95a3c4a89f2022-12-21T23:42:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0193e9202510.1371/journal.pone.0092025Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests.Xiaonan L LiuPeipeng LiangKuncheng LiLynne M RederPeople learn better when re-study opportunities are replaced with tests. While researchers have begun to speculate on why testing is superior to study, few studies have directly examined the neural underpinnings of this effect. In this fMRI study, participants engaged in a study phase to learn arbitrary word pairs, followed by a cued recall test (recall second half of pair when cued with first word of pair), re-study of each pair, and finally another cycle of cued recall tests. Brain activation patterns during the first test (recall) of the studied pairs predicts performance on the second test. Importantly, while subsequent memory analyses of encoding trials also predict later accuracy, the brain regions involved in predicting later memory success are more extensive for activity during retrieval (testing) than during encoding (study). Those additional regions that predict subsequent memory based on their activation at test but not at encoding may be key to understanding the basis of the testing effect.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3960161?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Xiaonan L Liu Peipeng Liang Kuncheng Li Lynne M Reder Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. PLoS ONE |
| title | Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. |
| title_full | Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. |
| title_fullStr | Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. |
| title_short | Uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests. |
| title_sort | uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying learning from tests |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3960161?pdf=render |
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