Age Difference In The Forward Testing Effect: The Roles Of Strategy Change And Release From Proactive Interference

Testing of previously studied information potentiates subsequent learning of new information, a phenomenon referred to as the forward testing effect (FTE). The current study aimed to investigate whether semantic processing strategy-change and release-from-PI (proactive interference), mediate the FTEs in adults and children. Third-grade children and adults were instructed to study four categorical word lists, then either restudied or were tested following studying each of Lists 1-3, and took an interim test on List 4. Results demonstrated that the FTE generalized to children and adults. More importantly, a moderated, multiple mediation analysis revealed that age moderated the indirect effect of interim task (test vs. restudy) on List 4 recall performance through semantic processing strategy-change. Specifically, the mediation effect of semantic processing strategy-change was only detected in adults but not in children. By contrast, the mediation effect of release-from-PI was evident for both children and adults. Furthermore, release-from-PI, by comparison with semantic processing strategy-change, contributed more importantly to the FTE. These findings provide novel insights into the development trajectory of mechanisms underlying the FTE.