# Influence of degree of learning on rate of forgetting of tonal sequences

## TL;DR

This study shows that how well you learn something at first doesn't change how quickly you forget it, even with nonverbal sounds like tones.

## Contribution

The study confirms that forgetting rates are independent of initial learning levels for nonverbal material, extending prior findings on verbal material.

## Key findings

- Initial learning was affected by the number of repetitions of tonal sequences.
- Forgetting rates remained consistent regardless of initial learning levels.
- The pattern of forgetting aligns with previous studies on verbal material.

## Abstract

Initial performance is frequently equated in studies that compare forgetting rates across groups. However, since the encoding capacity of different groups can be different, some procedures to match initial degree of learning need to be implemented, adding confounding variables such as longer exposures to the material, which would create memories of a different age. Slamecka and McElree Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 9, 384–397, (1983) and our previous work found that the rate of forgetting was independent from initial degree of learning using verbal material. The present study seeks to determine whether this pattern holds true when undertaken with nonverbal material. In two experiments, we manipulate initial degree of learning by varying the number of presentations of the material and studying the effect on the forgetting rates. A set of 30 tonal sequences were presented to young, healthy participants either once or three times. Forgetting was evaluated in a yes/no recognition paradigm immediately and 1 hour or 24 hours after the study phase. A different subset of 10 sequences was tested along with 10 nontargets at each retention interval. The results of these experiments showed that initial acquisition was modulated by the number of repetitions. However, the forgetting rates were independent of initial degree of learning. These results are in keeping with the pattern found by Slamecka and McElree, and in our own previous studies. They suggest that the pattern of parallel forgetting after different levels of initial learning is not limited to verbal material.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.3758/s13421-024-01597-6.