Rereading feels productive, but creates a false sense of mastery. When rereading material, it may seem like youβre improving your understanding. But that feeling often stems from recognition, not actual comprehension or retention. This leads to overestimating what you truly remember β a classic learning illusion. Example: A student rereads their notes multiple times before a test and feels confident. During the exam, theyβre unable to apply the knowledge in a meaningful way.
Callender, A. A., & McDaniel, M. A. (2009). The limited benefits of rereading educational texts. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34(1), 30β41.
Rawson, K. A., & Dunlosky, J. (2002). Are rereading and tests equally effective for learning from text? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8(3), 191β202.
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966β968.