Week 8

Question 1

What is an advantage and disadvantage for over learning?

Answer 1

Advantage - retention of skill learning

Disadvantage - takes time

Question 2

What is massed practice?

Answer 2

Bunching practice together with less rest between trials and fewer sessions

Question 3

What is distributed practice?

Answer 3

Spreading practice out so that there is more sessions with greater or equal rest to work ratio

Question 4

What is an advantage for both distributed and massed?

Answer 4

Distributed - better learning

Massed - more enjoyable

Question 5

What are the 3 explanations for practice distribution?

Answer 5

Fatigue - massed doesn’t allow for recovery

Cognitive effort - practice becomes monotonous and repetitious for massed

Memory consolidation - distributing allows for neuro-biochemical processes to occur

Question 6

What are the 2 ways in which practice conditions can be varied?

Answer 6

Constant practice - practicing one variation of a skill repetitively

Variable practice - practicing several variations of a skill

Question 7

What is blocked, serial and random practice?

Answer 7

Blocked - practice of several skills where learner repeats same skill over and over again

Serial practice - practice of several skills in a fixed order to minimise repetition of same skill on next trial

Random practice - practice of several skills where learners do not practice the same skill two times in a row, constantly switching skills

Question 8

What are the 2 explanations for the contextual interference effect?

Answer 8

Elaboration hypothesis - constantly compare and contrast skills, distinctive and elaborate memory of the skills

Action plan reconstruction - forget the plan developed so have to reconstruct an action plan on each attempt

Question 9

What is over learning?

Answer 9

Continuing practice beyond the amount needed to achieve certain performance criterion