Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
Figure 8.11 Effects of Massed Versus Distributed Practice on Learning
The spacing effect refers to the fact that memory is better when it is distributedrather than massed. Leslie, Lee Ann,
and Nora all studied for four hours total, but the students who spread out their learning into smaller study sessions
did better on the exam.
Ebbinghaus also considered the role of overlearning—that is, continuing to practice and study
even when we think that we have mastered the material. Ebbinghaus and other researchers have
found that overlearning helps encoding (Driskell, Willis, & Copper, 1992). [6] Students
frequently think that they have already mastered the material but then discover when they get to
the exam that they have not. The point is clear: Try to keep studying and reviewing, even if you
think you already know all the material.
Retrieval
Even when information has been adequately encoded and stored, it does not do us any good if we
cannot retrieve it. Retrieval refers to the process of reactivating information that has been stored
in memory. You can get an idea of the difficulty posed by retrieval by simply reading each of the
words (but not the categories) in the sidebar below to someone. Tell the person that after you
have read all the words, you will ask her to recall the words.