Effects of overt and covert spaced retrieval practice on memory for Swahili-English word pairs

Retrieval practice can be completed overtly (i.e., a spoken or written answer) or covertly (silently). However, if learners are not required to provide an overt answer, it may encourage them to passively wait for correct answer feedback, which is more akin to restudying than to active covert retrieval, particularly given that learners are often unaware of the benefits of the testing effect. Here we investigate the effects of overt and covert spaced retrieval practice compared to restudying, and whether active covert retrieval can be encouraged by inducing uncertainty with a proportion of overt trials in both interleaved and blocked trial procedures. We further elaborate on these retrieval processes by considering whether important individual differences such as anxiety, mastery, intrinsic motivation, and attentional control change throughout the learning schedule. The data can shed light on not only the best method of encouraging active retrieval, but also the metacognitive changes that occur throughout a multi-session spaced retrieval practice schedule.