Evidence for reinstating diverse episodic contexts in retrieval-based learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT The episodic context account suggests that retrieval practice effects depend on reinstating the encoding context during retrieval practice and during subsequent recall attempts. Support for the proposed role of reinstating context has primarily depended on investigations highlighting the salience of temporal context. We examined whether reinstating real and imagined environmental encoding contexts, in addition to temporal context, may underlie retrieval-based learning. In experiments 1-3, participants studied lists of words presented along with environmental scenes or imagined scenes and then, during a second presentation of the words by themselves, either restudied the words or performed a context retrieval task. Free recall of the words was enhanced in all of the context retrieval conditions relative to restudy and the organisation of free recall depended on the type of context retrieved. These findings extend support for the episodic context account by showing that the reinstatement of diverse encoding contexts may underlie retrieval-based learning.