Memory Processes and Influences Peer reviewed

Test Format Matching Moderates the Forward Testing Effect

Monique Batista Carvalho, Harvey H. C. Marmurek

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) | Jun 17, 2026

Abstract

Abstract

The forward testing effect refers to the benefit of prior testing relative to a control task on memory for subsequently learned material. The current experiment examined the effects of test format similarity and expectations on the forward testing effect. Participants studied two lists of unrelated word pairs. Following the first list, participants were either tested on it or asked to restudy it. The format of testing the first list was either cued recall or free recall. Before the presentation of the second list, participants were or were not told whether it would be tested with cued or free recall. Both types of initial test yielded a forward testing effect. The magnitude of the forward testing effect was larger when the test formats for the lists matched. Instructions improved recall independently of the similarity of the test formats across the lists. Intrusions of words from List 1 on List 2 recall were reduced by testing the first list, but that effect did not depend on the matching of test formats. The correct recall results support the metacognitive theory explanation of the forward testing effect.

Direct answer

What can I do from this paper page?

Use this page to scan "Test Format Matching Moderates the Forward Testing Effect" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Memory Processes and Influences research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.

Authors

Researchers on this paper

Monique Batista Carvalho

first | University of Guelph | ORCID 0000-0002-7543-9507

Harvey H. C. Marmurek

last | University of Guelph | ORCID 0000-0001-5211-5991

Research areas

Follow related topics

Citation

BibTeX

@article{Carvalho2026Test,
  title = {Test Format Matching Moderates the Forward Testing Effect},
  author = {Monique Batista Carvalho and Harvey H. C. Marmurek},
  journal = {Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie)},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1027/1618-3169/a000664},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000664}
}

FAQ

Using this paper in a discovery workflow

How do I find related work for this paper?

Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.

How can I keep up with new Memory Processes and Influences research papers?

Follow Memory Processes and Influences research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.

Can I cite this paper from this page?

This page includes a static BibTeX block for Test Format Matching Moderates the Forward Testing Effect. Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.

Follow this research in Scollr

Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.

Get the app