The purpose of this study was to determine if extended periods of time out of the training environment has an effect on the retention of training. The rationale for conducting this study was based on the fact that little research has been done in this area. The findings of the study indicated that extensive periods of time out of training do significantly influence the amount of training retained fromone loadmaster course to the other. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between the number of days out of training and the posttest scores. The optimum training break between courses appears to be between 10 and 20 days. Training retention is apparently affected by time.

The purpose of this research was to examine frame-of-reference (FOR) training retention in an assessment center (AC) rater training context. In this study, we extended Gorman and Rentsch’s (2009) research showing FOR training effects on performance schemas by examining the effects immediately after training and again after a two-week nonuse period. We examined the retention effects of FOR training on performance ratings and on performance schema accuracy. The results indicated that the FOR training condition, compared to a control condition, yielded performance ratings and performance schemas more similar to expert ratings and to an expert schema, respectively. FOR training also had positive effects on ratings and performance schema accuracy assessed two weeks after training. These results support and extend the theory of FOR training, which posits that the instructed theory of performance replaces the preexisting rater schemas (Lievens, 2001), and they contribute to the research on FOR training within AC contexts.