Increasing the Uptake of Neuropsychological Feedback With Spaced Retrieval Practice

Abstract

Objective: Although neuropsychological assessment feedback may help promote cognitive/brain health, recipients often struggle to remember and use this information. The current study examined the hypothesis that spaced retrieval practice (SRP) – one of the most powerful learning tools in the cognitive psychology/educational literatures –would improve neuropsychological feedback uptake as compared to the current standard of practice approach (i.e., verbal and written feedback only). Method/Data Selection: Participants included 65 predominantly Black American (83%), adult (Mage:65.48) veterans who underwent clinical neuropsychological assessment and subsequently consented to this between-subjects, longitudinal experiment. Following their evaluation, participants were randomly assigned to 1) same-day verbal feedback with massed-study of written results/recommendations, or 2) same-day verbal and written feedback supplemented with SRP. At 7-days post-baseline, memory for, intention to use, and adherence to feedback were measured. Results/Data Synthesis: SRP resulted in statistically significant, large benefits to recall of neuropsychological feedback (p<.001, d=1.02), which was not significantly moderated by cognitive functioning (ps>.10). Similarly, SRP significantly promoted intention to use neuropsychological recommendations (p=.046, d=.51). In contrast, there was a very small, non-significant effect of SRP on adherence (p=.59, d=.14). Conclusions: Neuropsychological assessment feedback supplemented with SRP has a marked, positive effect on an examinee’s memory for their examination results/recommendations and intention to use their personalized recommendations. The non-significant moderating role of cognition indicates this method is useful across a spectrum of cognitive functioning, though future research is needed to determine how SRP can be supplemented to enhance adherence.