The production effect benefits performance in between-subject designs: A meta-analysis

Producing (e.g., saying, mouthing) some items and silently reading others has been shown to result in a reliable advantage favoring retention of the produced compared to non-produced items at test. However, evidence has been mixed as to whether the benefits of production are limited to within- as opposed to between-subject designs. It has even been suggested that the within-subjects nature of the production effect may be one of its defining characteristics. Meta-analytic techniques were applied to evaluate this claim. Findings indicated a moderate effect of production on recognition memory when varied between-subjects (g = 0.37). This outcome suggests that the production effect is not defined as an exclusively within-subject occurrence.

► I meta-analyzed between-subject studies of the production effect.
► A moderate effect of production was observed in hits and sensitivity.
► Despite past claims, production benefits memory even between-subjects.
► This finding raises questions about current theoretical accounts.