A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDl,2 This report reviews and interprets
research on the nature and magnitude of the effects of those factors
which influence how well knowledge and skills (K&S) are retained over
relatively long periods of nonuse. Our interest lies in the kinds of
knowledge domains and skills that military personnel must master to
function effectively on their jobs. The practical concern impelling this
study is that K&S degradation or loss (which we will refer to as
"decay") can and does occur, often and severely enough, to jeopardize
military preparedness. There are occasions in all the military services
when personnel who have just completed their training do not receive an
opportunity to practice or use their new capabilities for weeks or
months. In the case of reservists who may be called back to active duty,
the period of nonuse of relevant military job skills may be counted in
terms of years. B. OBJECTIVES The overall objective is to critically
analyze the relevant scientific literature which relates the processes
involved in learning to those of memory, taking into account the
characteristics of the learner and the learning tasks. More
specifically, we have focused on the following sub-objectives: 1.
Identify, describe and rank the influence and the interactions of the
important major variables that affect long-term retention (LTR); 1 I am
indebted to Dr. Jesse Orlansky, Institute for Defense Analyses, for his
encouragement and guidance through all phases of this report.
