Question

(LTM) John has been studying by reviewing chapter 1 material , then incorporating some material for Chapter 2 and then going back to Chapter 1 again and restudying that. Michael has been studying all of Chapter 1 and 2 without interruption all at once. How will they each perform if they are taking a test right after studying? What about 2 days after studying?

A. When taking the test right away Michael may perform slightly better than John and when taking the test 2 days after studying will also perform significantly better than John.
B. When taking the test right away John may perform slightly worse than Michael but when taking the test 2 days after studying will perform much better than Michael.
C. When taking the test right away John may perform slightly better than Michael and when taking the test 2 days later will perform even better than Michael.
D. When taking the test right away Michael will perform slightly worse than John but after taking the test 2 days later will perform even better than John.

Answer 1

John's approach of reviewing and restudying using spaced repetition likely results in better long-term retention and performance two days after studying than Michael's massed practice method.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is B. When taking the test right away John may perform slightly worse than Michael but when taking the test 2 days after studying will perform much better than Michael. Studies on the retention of information, such as the work by Hermann Ebbinghaus, indicate that approaches to reviewing and restudying material can greatly affect memory performance over time. The process that John is using, known as spaced repetition, involves revisiting material after some time has passed, which leads to stronger and more durable memory traces in long-term memory. On the other hand, Michael’s technique of massed practice, or cramming, may show short-term benefits but typically results in rapid forgetting. Therefore, John, who is interleaving Chapter 1 material with Chapter 2 and then revisiting Chapter 1, is likely to perform better after a delay due to more effective memory consolidation.