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A Meta-analysis of the Survival Processing Advantage in Memory
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Description: The survival processing advantage occurs when processing words for their survival value improves later performance on a memory test. Due to the interest in this topic, we conducted a meta-analysis to review literature regarding the survival processing advantage to estimate a bias-corrected effect size. Traditional meta-analytic methods were used, as well as the test for excessive success, p-curve, p-uniform, trim and fill, PET-PEESE, and selection models to re-evaluate effect sizes while controlling for forms of small-study effects. Average effect sizes for survival processing ranged between partial eta squared = .06 and .09 for between-subjects experiments, and between .15 and .18 for within-subjects experiments after correcting for potential bias and selective reporting. Overall, researchers can expect to find medium to large survival processing effects, with selective reporting and bias correcting techniques typically estimating lower effects than traditional meta-analytic techniques.