What is spaced retrieval in memory practice?

• A. Practicing recall over increasing intervals to strengthen memory.
• B. Memorizing large amounts of information in a single session.
• C. Repeating the same task until it becomes automatic.
• D. Reading material aloud to improve comprehension.

Answer: (A)

Spaced retrieval is a memory practice that uses retrieval attempts at progressively longer time gaps to strengthen learning. The idea is to test yourself on the material after short delays, then after increasingly longer intervals as you keep recalling it correctly. This taps into the spacing effect, where information is more likely to stick in long-term memory when recall is spaced out rather than crammed.

For example, you might quiz yourself on a term shortly after first learning it, then again a few hours later, then the next day, then several days later. Each successful recall reinforces the memory trace and makes future retrieval easier, even after longer periods.

This approach is different from memorizing a lot of material in one session, which doesn’t leverage retrieval practice. It’s also different from simply repeating the same task until it becomes automatic, which focuses more on procedural fluency without spacing. And it’s not about reading aloud to improve comprehension, which targets understanding rather than the timing of recall.

So the description that matches spaced retrieval is the practice of recalling information over increasing intervals to strengthen memory.