The benefits of elaborative encoding over retrieval practice for associative learning.

The practice of retrieval has been shown to be highly beneficial for memory retention, but it has seldom been compared with learning strategies other than repeated study. Here, we compared the benefits of retrieval practice (without feedback) with the benefits of two elaborative encoding tasks for word pair learning. Specifically, after studying series of randomly combined word pairs, participants performed an interactive-imagery (Experiments 1-2) or sentence-generation task (Experiments 3-5), retrieval practice, and a letter-counting or a rereading task.