November 2008 PMID 19076480

Spacing effects in learning: a temporal ridgeline of optimal retention.

Nicholas J Cepeda, Edward Vul, Doug Rohrer, John T Wixted, Harold Pashler

Mentions

42
Peak: 2 in Nov 2021
across 5 sources since Aug 2019

Extended reach

271,063
potential audience

Total likes

506

Video views

42,578

Mentions per month

Aug 2019 – Oct 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News24 articles
  • X / Twitter9 posts
  • YouTube4 videos
  • Blogs4 articles
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall tone shows strong interest and agreement with the article's conclusions, as evidenced by references to specific studies and suggestions for practical application, such as adjusting study intervals based on retention period. The language used, from technical references to practical advice, indicates active engagement and recognition of the publication's relevance in educational contexts.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions recognize the importance of the article's findings on spacing effects, with some referencing specific studies or suggesting practical applications, indicating general agreement.

InterestHigh interest

Participants demonstrate high interest, often mentioning recommended intervals, practical implications, and recent contradicting studies, which shows active engagement and curiosity.

EngagementModerate engagement

Responses include sharing related studies, suggesting further reading, and discussing methodology, showing thoughtful participation beyond surface-level comments.

ImpactModerate impact

The discussions suggest the article has modest but notable impact, influencing ideas about effective study strategies and educational practices, though some are still contemplating its implications.

Abstract in brief

  • The study examined how the timing between study sessions (spacing) affects long-term retention of information over periods up to 35 months and beyond, revealing that optimal spacing increases with longer delays but overall proportionally decreases as the test delay lengthens.
  • Initially, increasing the gap between study sessions improves retention, but after a certain point, further increasing the gap reduces effectiveness, showing a complex relationship between spacing and retention over time.
  • The findings suggest that many educational practices may be inefficient because they do not account for how optimal spacing needs to change depending on the length of the retention interval, which varies significantly in real-world learning scenarios.

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Dylan Wiliam
@dylanwiliam · X

@JamesSCraik Depends what you mean by feedback, but there are some good studies on the interval between restudy sessions and the delay until testing, which seem to be relevant: https://t.co/BtdgbLDhk7 ($)

Nov 2, 2024 · 10 likes · 2 shares · 125,825 followers View post →
InnerDrive
@Inner_Drive · X

@PearceMrs Really interesting study. Would recommend checking out this one https://t.co/U5bq9LPzqw (actually gives some specific suggested intervals) and also this recent one that seems to slightly contradict it https://t.co/XjaBm2iJX3. Think you’ll like them

Nov 14, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 28,419 followers View post →
Tony
@JustCTony · X

@messypack @Iamthe_V1 @AHzdeckSSB https://t.co/S6Fge79MaS

Jun 11, 2022 · 2 likes · 2,144 followers View post →
Isaac Sayol Piedra
@SayolIsaac · X

[5] Baroody, A. J., Bajwa, N. P., & Eiland, M. (2009). Why Can’t Johnny Remember the Basic Facts? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15(1), 69–79. [6] Cepeda, N. J., et al. (2008). Spacing Effects in Learning: A Temporal Ridgeline of Optimal Retention 19(11), 1095–1102.

Sep 2, 2025 · 2 likes · 167 followers View post →
Héctor Ruiz Martín
@hruizmartin · X

@mariaef291 Hola, María. Todo depende de cuál sea el periodo de retención, es decir, el tiempo entre el último repaso y la evaluación. Cuanto más largo este, más largos deben ser los espacios entre sesiones de estudio. Aquí un artículo al respecto: https://t.co/auV1138rpj

Aug 26, 2021 · 1 like · 56,930 followers View post →
AK
@1qaz5tgb3edc · X

「復習は最初の学習日と最終テストの予定の日の間の日数を5分割したタイミングですると効率が良くなる」 #心理学 #復習 #学習 Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in... Psychological science, 19(11), 1095–1102. https://t.co/drWm7U6m6u

May 6, 2022 · 1 like · 5,833 followers View post →

All mentions

Isaac Sayol Piedra
@SayolIsaac · X

[5] Baroody, A. J., Bajwa, N. P., & Eiland, M. (2009). Why Can’t Johnny Remember the Basic Facts? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15(1), 69–79. [6] Cepeda, N. J., et al. (2008). Spacing Effects in Learning: A Temporal Ridgeline of Optimal Retention 19(11), 1095–1102.

Sep 2, 2025 · 2 likes · 167 followers View post →
Dylan Wiliam
@dylanwiliam · X

@JamesSCraik Depends what you mean by feedback, but there are some good studies on the interval between restudy sessions and the delay until testing, which seem to be relevant: https://t.co/BtdgbLDhk7 ($)

Nov 2, 2024 · 10 likes · 2 shares · 125,825 followers View post →
Tom Dickins
@PelagicTom · X

@jayvanbavel Paper here: https://t.co/dhNH5WDn6J

Mar 2, 2024 · 793 followers View post →
Tony
@JustCTony · X

@messypack @Iamthe_V1 @AHzdeckSSB https://t.co/S6Fge79MaS

Jun 11, 2022 · 2 likes · 2,144 followers View post →
AK
@1qaz5tgb3edc · X

「復習は最初の学習日と最終テストの予定の日の間の日数を5分割したタイミングですると効率が良くなる」 #心理学 #復習 #学習 Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in... Psychological science, 19(11), 1095–1102. https://t.co/drWm7U6m6u

May 6, 2022 · 1 like · 5,833 followers View post →
AK
@1qaz5tgb3edc · X

Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in learning: a temporal ridgeline of optimal retention. Psychological science, 19(11), 1095–1102. #心理学 #復習 #学習 https://t.co/drWm7U6m6u

Apr 21, 2022 · 5,833 followers View post →
Richard Dare FCCT MA CTeach
@dare_richard · X

RT @Inner_Drive: @PearceMrs Really interesting study. Would recommend checking out this one https://t.co/U5bq9LPzqw (actually gives some sp…

Nov 15, 2021 · 1 share · 2,533 followers View post →
InnerDrive
@Inner_Drive · X

@PearceMrs Really interesting study. Would recommend checking out this one https://t.co/U5bq9LPzqw (actually gives some specific suggested intervals) and also this recent one that seems to slightly contradict it https://t.co/XjaBm2iJX3. Think you’ll like them

Nov 14, 2021 · 6 likes · 1 share · 28,419 followers View post →
Héctor Ruiz Martín
@hruizmartin · X

@mariaef291 Hola, María. Todo depende de cuál sea el periodo de retención, es decir, el tiempo entre el último repaso y la evaluación. Cuanto más largo este, más largos deben ser los espacios entre sesiones de estudio. Aquí un artículo al respecto: https://t.co/auV1138rpj

Aug 26, 2021 · 1 like · 56,930 followers View post →
Héctor Ruiz Martín
@hruizmartin.bsky.social · Bluesky

Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in learning a temporal ridgeline of opti-mal retention. Psychological Science, 19, 1095-1102.

Aug 22, 2019 · 1 share View post →