The cognitive mechanisms supporting retrieval practice using signal detection theory

We remember information better when we actively test ourselves on it compared to when we simply restudy it. This is known as the retrieval practice effect or testing effect, and it's a key part of active learning. While the behavioral effect is well-documented, the cognitive and brain mechanisms behind it are still unclear. There are three main hypotheses: the effortful search hypothesis suggests that mental effort during memory search supports the effect, the elaborative association hypothesis proposes that retrieval cues trigger related information, enriching the memory, and the episodic reactivation hypothesis suggests that reactivating the original study episode supports the effect. This research aims to use a word-pair memory task to distinguish between these hypotheses in two behavioral experiment using a common signal detection theory referred to as the unequeal variation theory.