Semantic relatedness and the efficacy of retrieval practice
Adults / lifelong learning Foundations of optimal learning Attention and memory
Links to claims
Supports (1)
| Claim | Basis |
|---|---|
| C0 | Kill-condition test survived 2026-09-28: high relatedness reduced relative TE ~26% but restudy did not ≥ retrieval-with-feedback at 24 h. |
Review state: first-pass draft, pending human review.
Source note (Swedish, verbatim from the Kunskapsbank)
Syntes: Gupta, Pan & Rickard (2026) — semantic relatedness and retrieval practice
Källa: Gupta, M. W., Pan, S. C., & Rickard, T. C. (2026). Semantic relatedness and the efficacy of retrieval practice. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00416-8
Metadata
- ID:
LEARN-010 - Tier: RCT / lab experiment
- N / design: 231 analyzed (118 low relatedness, 113 high); within-subjects test-with-feedback vs restudy; 24-h delay; dual-memory model + cumulative distribution matching
- Population: university students
- Subject: Does high cue–target semantic relatedness reduce the relative efficacy of retrieval practice vs restudy?
Finding
- Testing improved delayed cued recall in both low and high relatedness groups (robust TE).
- Relative efficacy of testing was ~26% smaller for highly related pairs (model overpredicted TE; cumulative distributions systematically smaller TE at matched restudy accuracy).
- Mean ANOVA interaction Task × Relatedness was nonsignificant (uninterpretable under nonlinear mapping); model-based and distribution evidence show reduced efficacy at high relatedness.
- Kill-condition for C0 (restudy ≥ retrieval under high relatedness + feedback) not met.
Limits
Word-pair cued-recall paradigm; relatedness operationalized as forward associative strength; not educational prose or classroom tasks.
This claim dies if …
Equal or superior delayed retention for restudy vs retrieval-with-feedback under encoding-succeeded, criterion-matched conditions on materials C0 covers.
Links
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00416-8
- OSF: https://osf.io/t5r2h/
Metadata as recorded
- ID
- LEARN-010
- Tier
- RCT
- Closed-book follow-up
- ja (final cued-recall after 24 h; no materials available)
- Titel
- Semantic relatedness and the efficacy of retrieval practice
- Författare
- Gupta, M. W.; Pan, S. C.; Rickard, T. C.
- År
- 2026 (published 4 Apr 2026)
- Källa/DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-026-00416-8
- URL
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-026-00416-8
- Typ
- lab experiment (N=231 analyzed; low vs high semantic relatedness word pairs; test-with-feedback vs restudy; 24-h delayed cued recall)
- Åldersgrupp
- vuxen-livslangt (UCSD undergraduates)
- Teman
- optimalt-larande-grunder; uppmarksamhet-och-minne
- Sparade fil
- Gupta-Pan-Rickard-2026-semantic-relatedness-retrieval.pdf (OA CC BY 4.0)
- Hämtad
- 2026-09-28
- Paywall
- OA (npj Science of Learning)
Original files held in the project (not published): Gupta-Pan-Rickard-2026-semantic-relatedness-retrieval.pdf