Motivation brought to the test: Successful retrieval practice is modulated by mastery goal orientation and external rewards

2023/12/06 by Tino Endres, Alexander Eitel · 1 voice · 3 citations
Neuroscience · Psychology · #Educational Strategies and Epistemologies #Memory Processes and Influences #Psychological and Educational Research Studies

paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/acp.4160

openalex publication_date 2023/12/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

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.

Citations

• Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals
• Default Bayes factors for ANOVA designs
• Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: A systematic and meta-analytic review.
• The Testing Effect Is Alive and Well with Complex Materials
• Test-Enhanced Learning
• Partial, conditional, and moderated moderated mediation: Quantification, inference, and interpretation

Cited by

• Developing the Mental Effort and Load–Translingual Scale (MEL-TS) as a Foundation for Translingual Research in Self-Regulated Learning
• Die Unterstützung des Konsolidierens – eine zentrale, aber vernachlässigte Dimension von Unterrichtsqualität
• Constructive retrieval: Benefits for learning, motivation, and metacognitive monitoring

Discussions

• 📚 New study alert! @tinoendres.bsky.social & Alexander Eitel examine the impact of motivation on the testing effect. Results reveal that mastery goal orientation moderates the effect (Exp.1&2), with [bsky, 4 points, 0 comments]

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