Which hypothesis is probably the most reasonable regarding the potential influence of massed vs.spaced practice on the relationship between the number of hours spent studying and the degree to which material is learned?
A) The correlation between hours of study and degree of learning should be higher for massed than for spaced practice.
B) The correlation between hours of study and degree of learning should be negative for massed practice but positive for spaced practice.
C) The correlation between hours of study and degree of learning should be zero for massed practice but positive for spaced practice.
D) The correlation between hours of study and degree of learning should be lower for massed than for spaced practice.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most reasonable hypothesis is that the correlation between hours of study and degree of learning should be lower for massed than for spaced practice. This hypothesis is based on the spacing effect, which suggests that material is better retained and learned when practice sessions are spaced out over time, rather than massed together in one session. Therefore, students who use spaced practice will likely retain more information with fewer overall hours of study than those who use massed practice. This would result in a lower correlation between hours of study and degree of learning for massed practice compared to spaced practice.

Which Hypothesis Is Probably the Most Reasonable Regarding the Potential