REALIZATION OF AN EFFECTIVE SPACED LEARNING SCHEDULE BASED ON A REACTIVATION THEORY OF THE SPACING EFFECT

This study aims at predicting the most effective spaced learning sched ule based on a reactivation theory and to prove its effectiveness. The reactivation theory assumes that the activation decay of memory withi n spaces leads to increased reactivation at succeeding presentation, w hich causes the spacing effect. In Experiment 1, reactivation was meas ured using a repetition priming paradigm to find that the space with t he greatest reactivation expanded as presentation times increased. Exp eriment 2 showed that no other condition yielded a spacing effect grea ter than the expanding spaced learning schedule with the greatest reac tivation at each presentation. It was also suggested that the expansio n of the space with the greatest reactivation was not caused by increa se in presentation time but by the previous reactivation. In Experimen t 3, the above possibility was confirmed through a repetition priming paradigm. All of these results not only supported the reactivation the ory but also gave us a foundation on which to construct a more effecti ve spaced learning schedule.