The repeated retrieval of information from memory, followed by intervals of disuse, significantly enhances long-term retention and recall. This spaced repetition, implemented as a learning strategy, involves actively revisiting material at increasing intervals. For instance, a student preparing for an Advanced Placement Psychology exam might review key concepts shortly after initial exposure, then again a few days later, followed by increasingly spaced reviews over weeks or months. This cyclical approach strengthens neural pathways associated with the information.
The advantage of this method lies in its ability to combat the forgetting curve, a phenomenon describing the exponential decline of memory retention over time. By forcing the brain to actively reconstruct information at spaced intervals, it reinforces the memory trace and facilitates the transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory. This process improves both the accessibility and durability of knowledge. Historical precedent for this approach can be found in early memory research highlighting the benefits of distributed practice over massed practice (cramming).
