Learning Efficiency: Identifying Individual Differences in Learning Rate and Retention in Healthy Adults

Christopher L. Zerr; Jeffrey J. Berg; Steven M. Nelson; Andrew K. Fishell; Neil K. Savalia; Kathleen B. McDermott

doi:10.1177/0956797618772540

Learning Efficiency: Identifying Individual Differences in Learning Rate and Retention in Healthy Adults

Christopher L. Zerr¹; Jeffrey J. Berg¹; Steven M. Nelson^2,3,4; Andrew K. Fishell⁵; Neil K. Savalia³; Kathleen B. McDermott^1,5

¹ Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis · ² VISN 17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, Waco, Texas · ³ Center for Vital Longevity, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas · ⁴ Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University · ⁵ Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis

Psychological Science 2018

People differ in how quickly they learn information and how long they remember it, yet individual differences in learning abilities within healthy adults have been relatively neglected. In two studies, we examined the relation between learning rate and subsequent retention using a new foreign-language paired-associates task (the learning-efficiency task), which was designed to eliminate ceiling effects that often accompany standardized tests of learning and memory in healthy adults. A key finding was that quicker learners were also more durable learners (i.e., exhibited better retention across a delay), despite studying the material for less time. Additionally, measures of learning and memory from this task were reliable in Study 1 ( N = 281) across 30 hr and Study 2 ( N = 92; follow-up n = 46) across 3 years. We conclude that people vary in how efficiently they learn, and we describe a reliable and valid method for assessing learning efficiency within healthy adults.

DOI: 10.1177/0956797618772540
Volume: 29 (9)
Pages: 1436-1450
Language: en
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