Selective retrieval boosts memory regardless of prior knowledge.

Abstract

Forgetting is a core dynamic of memory which follows a rapid loss that slows into gradual decline. Notably, recent evidence suggests that selective retrieval strengthens recalled items, benefits nonretrieved ones, and reinstates the forgetting curve. A central question is whether these retrieval benefits depend on prior knowledge or reflect a domain-general mechanism. We tested 216 participants who studied high-knowledge (common) or low-knowledge (rare) Chinese characters and were assessed either directly or after a selective retrieval phase. Across conditions, retrieval boosted recall for both retrieved and nonretrieved characters and restarted forgetting functions. High-knowledge characters were remembered more accurately overall, but forgetting rates and retrieval-induced gains were equivalent across knowledge levels. These findings suggest that retrieval benefits can emerge independent of semantic expertise. By bridging expertise and forgetting literatures, our study provides evidence that selective retrieval as a domain-general phenomenon for stabilizing memory over time.