ABSTRACT

Numerous studies have established that there are benefits of corrective feedback for learning, but the mechanisms of this benefit are not well understood. An important question is whether corrective feedback improves memory via episodic processes or solely via semantic mediation. If episodic processes are involved, then memory for corrective feedback should include contextual details of the feedback episode. The present study tested this hypothesis across 3 experiments (total n = 223) in which participants completed an encoding task that involved cued guessing of category exemplars. Exemplars generated by participants were equally likely to be treated as correct or incorrect, and the “correct” exemplar was presented within a feedback display after each response. Separate versions of the task manipulated font colour in either the feedback display or the initial cue/typed response display. Participants were instructed to remember either the correct exemplars or their own typed responses, and the corresponding font colours. Retrieval task (cued recall, free recall, recognition) was varied across experiments. Across all 3 experiments, a higher rate of memory accuracy was observed for context associated with corrective feedback relative to other conditions. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that errorful learning involves episodic memory, not merely semantic mediation.

摘要

许多研究已经确定，纠正性反馈对学习有好处，但这种好处的机制尚不清楚。一个重要的问题是，纠正性反馈是通过情景过程还是仅仅通过语义中介来改善记忆。如果涉及情节过程，那么纠正反馈的记忆应该包括反馈情节的上下文细节。本研究通过 3 个实验验证了这一假设（总共n = 223），其中参与者完成了一项涉及对类别样本进行线索猜测的编码任务。参与者生成的示例同样可能被视为正确或不正确，并且“正确”的示例在每次响应后的反馈显示中呈现。任务的不同版本在反馈显示或初始提示/键入响应显示中操纵字体颜色。参与者被要求记住正确的示例或他们自己输入的答案，以及相应的字体颜色。检索任务（提示回忆、自由回忆、识别）在实验中有所不同。在所有 3 个实验中，观察到与其他条件相关的校正反馈相关的上下文的记忆准确率更高。