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Abstract

Does notetaking affect performance on recall tests? Past research has generally found that notetaking improves performance, but all of these studies have focused on recall of auditory information. The current study was intended as a pilot study to examine the effect of notetaking method on both immediate and delayed recall, as well as both audio and visual recall. Eighteen undergraduate psychology students in the same psychology class at a major, private university watched a 5-minute video clip and then immediately completed a 29-question test. When tested 48 hours later, participants completed a similar 29-question test. Though no significant statistical results were found, notetakers performed consistently better than non-notetakers on both audio and visual recall. A larger sample size, yielding greater statistical power, and statistical test evaluation would improve the current study. A better understanding of how notetaking improves memory could assist the student in retaining information. The researchers recommend further study on the subject to see if the effects of notetaking on visual recall carry over to a larger sample size, or if the trends were a result of insufficient sampling.

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