Forgetting and learning potentiation: dual consequences of between-session delays in cognitive skill learning.

Full Abstract

In the cognitive skill literature, between-session delays have been treated either as having a negligible effect on performance or as causing forgetting. In contrast, in the procedural skill literature, overnight between-session delays can result in performance gains. In 5 multi-session data sets, the author demonstrates that neither of these 2 models holds for the case of cognitive skill learning. Instead, the delay between sessions appeared to yield both forgetting and enhanced potential for new learning. Two candidate classes of explanation are considered, and implications for the empirical law of learning are discussed.

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Author information

Author/s: Rickard, Timothy C (TC);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, USA. trickard(-atsign-)ucsd.edu

Grants: R29 MH58202 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition (J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Mar; vol 33 (issue 2) : pp 297-304

Dates: Created 2007/03/13; Completed 2007/05/30; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17352612, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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