Repetition Increases Retention

Stimulus and response connections must be repeated and practiced to maintain them in short-term memory and then to transfer them successfully to long-term memory. Highlighting and emphasizing produce some of the same effects, but text cues should not be used as a short-cut to skill acquisition. Repetition can be overdone: blowing up one million space aliens does not significantly increase the mental connection between stimulus and response, and repetition to the point of tedium reduces retention.