In one study described in the textbook, Dewar et al. (2012) examined participants' retention of newly-learned material. Some participants experienced a 15-minute period of waking rest after learning the material. Other participants played a game after learning. What did Dewar et al. find and why?
A)The waking-rest participants outperformed the game participants because the rest aided encoding.
B)The waking-rest participants outperformed the game participants because the rest prevented interference from newer material.
C)The game participants outperformed the waking-rest participants because the game prevented interference from newer material.
D)The game participants outperformed the waking-rest participants because the game encouraged elaborative encoding.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dewar et al. found that the participants who experienced a 15-minute period of waking rest after learning the material outperformed the game participants. This is because the rest aided encoding by allowing the brain to consolidate and strengthen the newly learned memories. Playing a game, on the other hand, can distract the brain and interfere with the consolidation process.

In One Study Described in the Textbook, Dewar Et Al