INFLUENCE OF ABILITIES ON PERFORMANCE DURING PRACTICE - EFFECTS OF MASSED AND DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE

Prior research indicates that the influence of abilities on performance may change as a function of practice. The present research examined how learning styles influence the relationship between abilities and task performance. The styles examined were massed versus distributed practice. Two hundred nine Ss were asked to complete measures of spatial visualization and perceptual speed. They then practiced a complex skill acquisition task for 4 hr under conditions that allowed them to pace their rate of practice. Analysis of several dependent measures revealed that perceptual speed contributed to task performance for Ss who massed their practice (n = 33), whereas spatial visualization contributed to performance for Ss who distributed their practice (n = 61). The implications of these findings for understanding the role of abilities in skill acquisition are discussed.