Question

During skill acquisition, Shea and Morgan's 1979 study found that __________ practice was more effective for performance and __________ practice was more effective for learning.

1) blocked; random
2) massed; random
3) massed; distributed
4) distributed; massed

Answer 1

Shea and Morgan's study concluded that blocked practice boosts performance, whereas random practice enhances learning. This aligns with the notion that distributed practice over time, with rehearsals and making connections with existing knowledge, leads to better memory consolidation and retention.

Step-by-step explanation:

During skill acquisition, Shea and Morgan's 1979 study found that blocked practice was more effective for performance and random practice was more effective for learning. Blocked practice involves repeatedly practicing the same skill without switching to other tasks, which tends to improve immediate performance. In contrast, random practice involves interspersing several different skills in a random order, which requires the brain to continually readjust and seems to lead to better long-term learning as it strengthens memory consolidation.

These findings are consonant with the concept of distributed practice, which advocates studying across time in short durations rather than cramming. Memory consolidation takes time, and distributed practice allows time for memories to consolidate more efficiently. Rehearsing material over time in an organized manner and linking new information to what is already known enhances memory retention.