Replication

Any research conclusion is suspect if it is based on results that are obtained by chance. An indication of happenstance is a failure to obtain the same results when the original study is repeated. Replication refers to obtaining the same results when a previous study is conducted again in as similar a way as possible. The replication issue is discussed here in the context of choosing experimentally two theories.

The decay theory says that learning dissipates with time if one does not rehearse what has been learned. It implies that longer delays give rise to more forgetting. Experimenter D manipulates delay of recall to test it and obtains data consistent with the theory.

The interference theory says that forgetting occurs when subsequent learning interferes with earlier learning. ...