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The Forward Testing Effect in Spatial Route Learning in Patients with Schizophrenia
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  • Ma Xiaofeng,
  • Tan Yaoyao,
  • Li Tiantian,
  • Liu Minghui,
  • Zhang Jing
Ma Xiaofeng
Northwest Normal University

Corresponding Author:psymaxiaofeng@126.com

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Tan Yaoyao
Northwest Normal University
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Li Tiantian
Northwest Normal University
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Liu Minghui
Northwest Normal University
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Zhang Jing
Northwest Normal University
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Abstract

It is not known whether patients with schizophrenia can improve their ability to learn new information through tests. We conducted two experiments—to explore the forward testing effects in schizophrenic patients in learning a new route—with 124 schizophrenic patients and a control group of 124 randomly selected healthy. All participants were tasked with learning a two-dimensional planar route map consisting of four lists (Experiment 1) and three-dimensional video spatial route information (Experiment 2). Results from Experiment 1 demonstrated that in a two-dimensional planar route map, both schizophrenic and healthy participants recalled the spatial route information under the test condition versus the repetitive learning condition. In Experiment 2, we used three-dimensional video spatial route information and obtained the same results found in Experiment 1. This study suggests that by using preposed tests, patients with schizophrenia could suppress proactive interference and gain general benefits, including forward-backward effects of retrieval practice. Therefore, tests may be a powerful tool for improving learning and memory in patients with schizophrenia.