Donovan (1999). A Meta-Analytic Review of the Distribution of Practice Effect: Now You See It, Now You Don’t.

Reviewed by Tony Ingram, PhD
Review posted November 18, 2024

Full Citation

Donovan, J. J., & Radosevich, D. J. (1999). A Meta-Analytic Review of the Distribution of Practice Effect: Now You See It, Now You Don’t. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(5), 795–805. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.84.5.795

Abstract

The present review examined the relationship between conditions of massed practice and spaced practice with respect to task performance. A meta-analysis of 63 studies with 112 effect sizes yielded an overall mean weighted effect size of 0.46, indicating that individuals in spaced practice conditions performed significantly higher than those in massed practice conditions. Subsequent analyses, however, suggested that the nature of the task- being practiced, the intertrial time interval, and the interaction between these two variables significantly moderated the relationship between practice conditions and performance. In addition,, significantly higher effect sizes were found in studies with low methodological rigor as compared with those studies higher in rigor. Directions for future research and applications of the findings are discussed.

Note: check out the reviewer notes below before you take the results listed here too seriously. They’re good results (many highly reliable), but with important caveats.

Key Results

Result Name

Effect Size

Reliability

Spaced Practice vs. Massed Practice (Performance)

Medium

High

Spaced Practice vs. Massed Practice (Learning)

Spaced vs. Massed: Simple Motor Tasks

Spaced vs. Massed: Moderate Cognitive Tasks

Spaced vs. Massed: Complex Motor Tasks

Spaced vs. Massed: Complex Tasks (Cognitive and Motor)

Spaced vs. Massed: <1 min Intertrial Interval

Spaced vs. Massed: 1-10 min Intertrial Interval

Spaced vs. Massed: 10 min - 1 hr Intertrial Interval

Spaced vs. Massed: >1 day Intertrial Interval

Other Interesting Results

Result Name

Effect Size

Reliability

Spaced vs. Massed: Complex Motor Tasks, with 10 min - 1 hr Intertrial Intervals

Negligible Negative

Unreliable

Spaced vs. Massed: Highly Complex Tasks, with >1 day Intertrial Intervals

Study Characteristics

Learning Domain	Declarative Learning, Procedural Learning
Study Topic	Massed Practice, Spaced Practice
Study Type	Membership Required
Task Studied	Membership Required
Subject Type	Membership Required
Number of Studies	Membership Required
Quality Score (%)*	Membership Required

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* Study quality assessed using JBI Systematic Review Checklist.

Reviewer Notes

While a quick read of the abstract suggests this paper is a take-down of the spaced practice effect — particularly a critique of a previous meta-analysis (Lee, T. D. & Genovese, E. D., 1988) — a careful read reveals that it is anything but. This meta-analysis has problems of its own (first and foremost, it arguably doesn’t even discuss “spaced practice” as it’s typically defined). Yet this paper makes an interesting contribution to the literature nonetheless. That is, the results reveal details about how one should practice skills to enhance performance within a given session.

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Donovan (1999). A Meta-Analytic Review of the Distribution of Practice Effect: Now You See It, Now You Don’t.

Table of Contents

Full Citation

Abstract

Key Results

Other Interesting Results

Study Characteristics

Reviewer Notes

Link to Study

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