Effects of Massed and Distributed Practice Schedules upon the Acquisition of Pursuit Rotor Tracking by Normal and Mentally Retarded Subjects

Abstract

This study compared the effects of massed practice, distributed practice with a 20-sec. intertrial rest, and distributed practice with a 2-min. intertrial rest in an attempt to determine if a difference existed in either the rate of buildup or rate of dissipation of the reactive inhibition affecting the acquisition of a tracking skill in normal and mentally retarded subjects. Thirty normal and 29 mentally retarded subjects ranging in age from 12 to 45 years practiced on a photoelectric pursuit rotor under one of the three experimental conditions. Differing rates in the buildup of inhibition were observed between normal and retarded subjects and between different practice schedules. Two classes of inhibiting factors appeared to operate upon the normals receiving distributed practice; one class of factors affected distributed practice with a 20-sec. intertrial rest and the other operated on practice schedules with a 2-min. intertrial rest. These inhibitory factors appeared to be of a temporary nature.