Concentration, Personality and Self‐Pacing in Programmed Learning

Abstract

This experiment investigates what happens when a student paces himself during learning, and does this by using a special teaching machine which allows response rate to be recorded. Throughout the experiment a 120 frame linear program was used. Many patterns of pacing emerged, although the most common was a U‐shaped curve in, which S started and finished comparatively slowly. Knowledge of the number of frames in the program appeared to make no difference to S's behaviour. An analysis of the effects of personality (as measured by the E.P.I.) on various global measures of work performance showed only that extraverts took significantly less total time than introverts. No sex difference was found. Concentration was studied by correlating speed and error rate over the work period for each S. Although with a few Ss there was a significant positive correlation and with others a significant negative correlation, most correlations were not significant; these findings are discussed in terms of three models of the student.