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Massed and Spaced Practice in Alpha Enhancement

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Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: Massed and Spaced Practice in Alpha Enhancement.

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Study at a glance

Area
QEEG, Methods & Mechanisms
Study type
Controlled study
Authors
Albert IB, Simmons J, Walker J
Journal
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Year
1974
Participants
20 (two groups of 10)
Population
Adults
Protocol
Alpha enhancement feedback
Sessions
4 trials of 20 minutes

Key findings

  • Spaced practice (24-hour breaks) doubled alpha production
  • Massed practice (90-second breaks) produced almost no improvement
  • Spacing of sessions affects how well EEG feedback is learned

An early alpha-feedback study asking whether people learn to raise their alpha better with sessions spread out or crowded together. One group trained for 20 minutes with a day's rest between trials, the other with only 90 seconds between trials. The spaced group doubled its alpha production while the massed group barely improved, an early sign that how training is scheduled matters.