Date of Award
7-1976
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Thirty-si x mal e and femal e col lege students selected from a data bank of 335 students were ested for readi ng comprehensi on. Students were of average schol asti c apti tude wi th ei ther an extreme hi gh or extreme l ow score on the TMAS. The learni ng task , whi ch served as the test for readi ng comprehensi on, was presented to each student under ei ther massed or di stri buted practi ce at a control led rate of speed. The number of correct responses to a multiple choice test served as the dependent variable. One half of the high anxiety students and one half of the low anxiety students were randomly selected for the distributed practice condition. Remaining students received massed practice. Three factors (type of practice, anxiety level, post-test and 24 hour follow-up) were analyzed by ANOVA for thirty-six students completing the study. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis: (1) that students in the distributed practice condition would perform better than students in the massed practice condition, (2) low anxiety students would perform better than the high anxiety students. The data did support the hypothesis that the retention level would not change from the post-test to the 24 hour follow up test.
Recommended Citation
Kanoy, Robert C., "Effect of massed and disturbed practice on reading comprehension for high and low anxious college students" (1976). Master's Theses. 392.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses/392