Massed vs. Distributed (Spaced) Practice in Motor Learning
Robert T. Herdegen III, Ph.D., Hampden-Sydney College
rherdegen@hsc.edu
Karen E. Ford, Ph.D, Mesa State College
kford@mesastate.edu
Introduction
Will learning and performance on a mirror-tracing task be enhanced by distributed (spaced) practice relative to massed practice? The study of learning has traditionally led to important applications in dealing with real world problems. One example of this involves research that has shown that distributed or spaced practice (spreading out the learning or practice over a longer period of time) is better for learning and remembering information or a task than massed practice (concentrating the learning or practice in a shorter period of time). Certainly, this is something that is often told to students as a way of enhancing study skills and improving academic performance.
Research on this topic goes back to some of the earliest studies of verbal memory by Ebbinghaus (1885), who probably was the first psychologist to study this phenomenon experimentally. Evidence that such effects influence other behaviors or tasks was provided by Dore and Hilgard (1937). They had participants perform a pursuit rotor task (involves holding a wand or pointer in contact with a small disk that is located on the outer portion of a rotating turntable) for six trials, and varied the amount of rest time between the participants’ one-minute trials from one to 11 minutes. They found that the performance and the rate of improvement was greater for the participants who had the longer rest periods (distributed or spaced practice) than for those who had the shorter rest periods (massed practice). Although, there is some controversy over the long-term benefits of distributed practice in learning motor skills, the short-term enhancement of performance and learning of motor behaviors seems to be reliable.
The purpose of this experiment is to examine this effect using mirror tracing, a somewhat different motor skill than that of Dore and Hilgard. A standard mirror-tracing apparatus is a device which allows a participant to view a figure in a mirror while a shield blocks the participant’s direct view of his or her hand and the figure to be traced. This mirror tracing experiment is a computerized version that requires that the participant use the mouse to trace the star (see figure to the right), but the mouse draws lines in the direction opposite of the mouse’s movement.
Design
The experiment utilizes a between-subjects design with one independent variable, the distribution of practice, operationally defined as the length of the intertrial interval. There are two levels of the independent variable, one minute of rest (massed practice) or five minutes of rest (distributed or spaced practice) between trials. The software randomly assigns each new participant to one of these two conditions. Each participant is asked to perform five trials using his or her preferred hand. The dependent variable is the time it takes the participant to complete the tracing of the star. All subjects should rest between trials.
Improvement in performance can be assessed for the time measure by looking at changes over the five trials. One possible measure of improvement is the difference between performance on Trial 1 and on Trial 5 (T1 - T5). An independent groups t test can be conducted to compare the two groups on this T1-T5 measure. A Trials x Group (massed vs distributed/spaced practice) analysis of variance may also be performed, if desired.
References
Dore, L. R., & Hilgard, E. R. (1937). Spaced practice and the maturation hypothesis. Journal of Psychology, 4, 245-259.
Ebbinghaus, H. (1964). Memory. (H.A. Ruger & C. E. Bussenius, Trans.). New York: Dover. (Original work published 1885)
Last revised:September 07, 2004 09:06:07 AM
Copyright© 1995 The University
of Mississippi. All rights reserved.
Questions about this page?PsychExps