Retrieval practice after initial reading modulates the cognitive processes of re reading: An eye-tracking study

Abstract

While it has been claimed that retrieval practice (RP) is much more advantageous than other learning strategies, the effects of RP on the re-studying phase are still not well understood. In the present eye-tracking experiment, participants in the Non-RP (NRP) group simply read the text twice. On the other hand, the RP group read the text twice with a free-recall task between the first and the second reading. The results showed that while the NRP group showed significantly less reading time, fewer fixations, and less fixation duration in the second reading than in the first reading, the RP group showed the same reading time, fixation count, and fixation duration in the second reading as in the first reading. These findings suggest that RP modulates the cognitive processes in the second reading and this function may facilitate memory consolidation.