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

Prior research indicates that the influence of abilities on performanc e may change as a function of practice. The present research examined how learning styles influence the relationship between abilities and t ask performance. The styles examined were massed versus distributed pr actice. Two hundred nine Ss were asked to complete measures of spatial visualization and perceptual speed. They then practiced a complex ski ll acquisition task for 4 hr under conditions that allowed them to pac e their rate of practice. Analysis of several dependent measures revea led that perceptual speed contributed to task performance for Ss who m assed their practice (n = 33), whereas spatial visualization contribut ed 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.