Retroactive inhibition of prose as a function of the type of test

In a study with 174 high school students, retroactive inhibition (RI) of textbook-style prose was examined as a function of: (a) type of interpolated learning; (b) test type; (c) S's verbal ability, as measured by the Wide Range Achievement Test; and (d) item type. RI was demonstrated with the use of a short-answer test, and particularly with a multiple-choice test which included the specific competing response from the interpolated passage. No RI was detected on multiple-choice tests in which the distractors entailed only responses from the original passage or noncompeting responses from the interpolated passage. Results are in close agreement with interference theory and the findings of paired-associates research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).