Chapter 5 Quiz: What Makes Learning Stick

Question 1

In Dunlosky et al.'s (2013) evaluation of ten common learning techniques, which two techniques received the highest utility ratings based on evidence of strong, broad benefits?

A) Summarization and rereading B) Practice testing and distributed practice C) Imagery use and keyword mnemonics D) Highlighting and elaborative interrogation

Question 2

In Roediger and Karpicke's (2006) study comparing study-only versus test-study conditions, what happened when students were tested one week after learning?

A) The study-only group performed better because they'd spent more time with the material B) Both groups performed equally, suggesting testing and studying are equivalent C) The group that did more retrieval practice retained approximately 50-65% more than the study-only group D) The retrieval practice group did better only on multiple-choice tests, not on recall tests

Question 3

Why does retrieval practice feel less productive than rereading, even when it actually produces better retention?

A) Retrieval practice is genuinely less efficient for short-term retention; the long-term advantage doesn't outweigh the short-term cost B) Rereading creates a fluency illusion — the familiarity of recognizing information feels like knowing it, even when recall would fail C) Students who use retrieval practice are already better learners and would have done well anyway D) The retrieval practice effect only holds for factual information, not for conceptual understanding

Question 4

The spacing effect refers to which finding?

A) Giving students more physical space during exams improves their performance B) Distributing practice over time produces better long-term retention than equivalent time massed into one session C) The distance between items in a list affects how well the middle items are remembered D) Studying in different locations produces better retention than studying in one place

Question 5

Why does spaced repetition work best when review is scheduled near the "edge of forgetting" rather than when memories are still fresh?

A) Reviewing fresh memories is harmful because it can interfere with consolidation B) The review is more enjoyable when information feels somewhat new again C) Reviewing at the edge of forgetting produces the maximum memory-strengthening effect, while reviewing fresh memories strengthens something that doesn't need strengthening D) The forgetting curve levels off after a week, making early review less valuable than late review

Question 6

Interleaved practice tends to produce better long-term performance than blocked practice primarily because it:

A) Increases total study time compared to blocked practice B) Forces the learner to identify which approach or technique to use before solving each problem, practicing the discrimination skill that exams require C) Reduces anxiety by varying the experience and preventing boredom D) Allows the brain more time to consolidate each problem type before encountering it again

Question 7

Elaborative interrogation is best described as:

A) Writing elaborate, detailed summaries of material B) Using multiple study sessions to interrogate the accuracy of your notes C) Generating explanations for why facts are true, creating connections between new information and existing knowledge D) A type of questioning technique used by instructors during class discussions

Question 8

Dual coding theory proposes that verbal and visual information are processed by different cognitive systems. The practical implication is that:

A) Visual learners should use more visual materials and verbal learners should use more verbal materials B) Combining verbal and visual representations creates two independent retrieval pathways, benefiting all learners C) Diagrams should replace text for all complex material because images are processed more efficiently D) Verbal representations are stronger for factual material while visual representations are stronger for conceptual material

Question 9

What is a "desirable difficulty" in learning, according to Robert Bjork?

A) A very challenging problem that motivates students to study harder B) A condition that makes practice feel harder and may lower immediate performance, while improving long-term retention and transfer C) A type of test question that is hard to answer correctly by guessing D) Any study task that takes more than 30 minutes to complete

Question 10

The generation effect refers to the finding that:

A) Students who generate their own examples of a concept understand it better than students given examples by the instructor B) Attempting to generate an answer — even incorrectly — before being given the correct answer improves subsequent learning of that correct answer C) Students in the generation after Millennials (Gen Z) learn more effectively with technology D) Generating questions about material is more effective than generating answers

Question 11

Amara's old study approach (highlighting and rereading) failed primarily because:

A) Highlighting damages books and makes reviewing harder B) These techniques are passive — they expose her to information without requiring active retrieval, generation, or effortful processing C) She wasn't spending enough total time studying D) Rereading is effective but highlighting adds nothing

Question 12

Which of the following best summarizes the common thread running through retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, elaboration, and dual coding?

A) They all require special software or tools to implement B) They all feel comfortable and productive while you're using them C) They all require the learner to actively do something with the information rather than passively receive it, and the effort is the mechanism of learning D) They all work best for factual material; creative or artistic learning requires different approaches

Answer Key

  1. B — Practice testing and distributed practice received the highest utility ratings
  2. C — The retrieval practice group retained approximately 50-65% more at one week
  3. B — The fluency illusion from familiarity creates false confidence
  4. B — Distributing practice over time vs. massing it
  5. C — Maximum strengthening effect at the edge of forgetting
  6. B — Forces identification of which approach to use, practicing the discrimination skill
  7. C — Generating why-explanations and connections
  8. B — Two pathways benefit all learners (not learning styles)
  9. B — Harder in the moment, better long-term
  10. B — Attempting to generate before being given the answer
  11. B — Passive exposure without effortful processing
  12. C — Active engagement; effort is the mechanism