Deutsch Intern
DFG RESEARCH GROUP—LASTING LEARNING: COGNITIVE MECHANISMS AND EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION (FOR 5254)

Paper by Dr. Tino Endres and Prof. Dr. Alexander Eitel published

12/12/2023

Congratulations on the publication of the paper "Motivation brought to the test: Successful retrieval practice is modulated by mastery goal orientation and external rewards" by Tino Endres and Alexander Eitel in Applied Cognitive Psychology in December 2023.

Abstract: We investigated how learners' motivation impacts the testing effect for complex study materials. High mastery goal orientation was expected to weaken the effect, while external rewards for successful retrieval practice were expected to strengthen it. Two experiments (N = 191) compared restudy, retrieval practice, and retrieval practice with external reward in a between-subject design. We assessed delayed retention after 1 week. Both experiments revealed a testing effect. Learners' mastery goal orientation moderated the effect in both experiments. It was strong in students with low mastery goal orientation and absent in those with high mastery goal orientation. The external reward failed to enhance the testing effect in Experiment 1, but boosted it in Experiment 2 with more specific criteria for “successful retrieval practice.” In Experiment 2, the reward increased students retrieval practice effort, improving delayed retention. These results suggest that students' motivation to practice retrieval and to restudy are important boundary conditions for the testing effect.

Keywords: achievement goal orientations, complex study content, motivation, retrieval practice, testingeffect, time incentive

Endres, T., & Eitel, A. (2023). Motivation brought to the test: Successful retrieval practice is modulated by mastery goal orientation and external rewards. Applied Cognitive Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.4160 (open access)