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Shea (2000). Spacing practice sessions across days benefits the learning of motor skills.

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Full Citation

Shea, C. H., Lai, Q., Black, C., & Park, J.-H. (2000). Spacing practice sessions across days benefits the learning of motor skills. Human Movement Science, 19(5), 737–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-9457(00)00021-x

Abstract

The effects of distributing practice sessions across days, compared to within days, on the learning of motor skills were examined. In Experiment 1, a continuous dynamic balance task was practiced in two sessions of seven trials each. For one group, sessions were separated by 20 min while for the other group the sessions were separated by 24 h. In Experiment 2, three variations of a key-press timing task were practiced in three sessions, one session for each task variation. Again, practice for one group was distributed within days and the other across days. In both experiments, a retention test was administered 24 h after the completion of practice. The results indicated that spacing practice sessions over relatively long intervals (days) resulted in the enhancement of performance during the remaining practice sessions and enhanced learning as assessed by the delayed retention test. The results are consistent with the memory consolidation hypothesis and suggest that this interval may play a substantial role in the learning of motor skills.

Key Results

Result Name Effect Size Reliability
Spaced vs Massed, Balance Task (Performance)
Small
Small
Unreliable
Unreliable
Spaced vs Massed, Balance Task (Learning)
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Spaced vs Massed, Sequence Task (Performance)
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Spaced vs Massed, Sequence Task (Learning)
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Study Characteristics

Learning Domain Motor Learning
Study Topic Massed Practice, Spaced Practice
Study Type
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Task Studied
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Subject Type
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Quality Score (%)*
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* Study quality assessed using JBI Systematic Review Checklist.

Reviewer Notes

An important (but small) study for spaced practice in motor learning, as it was one of the earliest to investigate the idea as it’s commonly described. Previous work on “distribution of practice” appears to have focused on the spacing of practice repetitions rather than practice sessions. See Donovan & Radosevich (1999) for more. This study provided strong support for the spaced practice effect in motor learning (though not immediate performance, per se), while showing early evidence that it depends on the task.

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Link to Study

Shea, C. H., Lai, Q., Black, C., & Park, J.-H. (2000). Spacing practice sessions across days benefits the learning of motor skills. Human Movement Science, 19(5), 737–760. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-9457(00)00021-x

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