Abstract
<p>Three experiments investigated absence and presence of learning from multiple repeated presentations. Typically, recall of a verbal list or visual array improves with as few as six repetitions of the same stimulus. However, recognition paradigms have shown no learning with 60 or more repetitions of the same stimulus. Ye et al. (2026) reported no performance improvements and no awareness of repetition across 120 repetition trials with a 500 ms study-test interval for change detection. With longer study-test intervals only some participants improved performance. We explored whether lack of learning arose from short study-test intervals, or forgetting during longer inter-trial intervals. General working memory capacity (OSPAN) was assessed for each participant. Study-test, not inter-trial, intervals modulated absence or presence of learning and repetition awareness. OSPAN correlated with performance only when learning was observed. These new results highlight the importance of strategy differences in how participants perform cognitive tasks, that are not apparent in aggregate group data. Results also are consistent with the Ye et al. (2026; Logie, 1995; Shimi &amp; Logie, 2019) proposal that lack of learning across repetitions reflects a temporary visual cache memory within a trial, the contents of which are over-written by the array on the next trial, even if arrays are identical. A weak episodic memory is formed but cannot support performance unless cumulative strengthening across trials reaches a threshold for observable learning. General working memory capacity for encoding and retrieval is engaged only if participants show learning and awareness of the array repetition.</p>