The Spacing Effect

What it is

The idea is among the oldest in memory research. Kuhn, Lohnas and Kahana used it to explain negative recency: items recalled at the start of a first test are effectively studied again soon after first study, so they gain less from that extra exposure than items whose repetition is spaced.

In effect

In the article on the serial position effect, it is the account offered for why end-of-list items can be recalled less well on a later test.

What it does not say

It describes spacing in learning. It does not set a single best gap for every kind of material.

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