Most of the tests you have taken generally measure how well you can retrieve information from memory. There are two types of retrieveal tasks: recall and recognition. The last memory task used recognition and the memory task before it used recall.
| Retrieval Task | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Recall | While the task might provide cues, you must generate the answer from your memory. | Essay questions, short answer, or fill-in-the-blank questions |
| Recognition | The correct answer is provided along with other incorrect answers. Your task is to identify the correct item that you have in memory. | Multiple choice, matching, or true/false questions |
The two retrieval tests were based on a study by Henry Roediger & Kathleen McDermott (1995). They found that the average recall rate was 65% and the average correct recognition rate was 86%. These findings, shown in the right hand two bars, match other studies that find that in most circumstances, we perform better at recognition than recall. Your results are shown in the left hand two bars.