Passive Viewing of the Necker Cube during Massed and Distributed Practice

Abstract

Of 24 students from a psychology class in high school 12 were randomly assigned to a Massed Practice group (4 boys, 8 girls each) and 12 to a Distributed Practice group. They viewed a Necker cube for a 3-min. trial on three occasions separated by a week. The Massed Practice group had no rests while the Distributed Practice group rested 1 min. after each 1 min. of viewing. There were no significant differences for total reversals between Massed and Distributed groups on any trial. There were no significant differences between boys and girls on Trials 1 and 2, but on Trial 3 boys reported significantly more reversals than girls. Within each group there was a significant increase in the number of reversals from Trial 1 to Trial 3, indicating learning effects. Rigidity scores did not correlate significantly with the total Necker cube reversals for Trials 1, 2, or 3. The massed and distributed practice effects were not present although learning was noted. Longer rests may be needed for practice effects within trials; long rests of 7 days between trials may account for lack of differences.