Effects of retrieval practice and presentation modality on verbal learning: testing the limits of the testing effect.

The testing effect refers to improved memory after retrieval practice and has been researched primarily with visual stimuli. In two experiments, we investigated whether the testing effect can be replicated when the to-be-learned information is presented auditorily, or visually + auditorily. Participants learned Swahili-English word pairs in one of three presentation modalities - visual, auditory, or visual + auditory.