John and Jenny are both taking the same math test on Friday. John studies for 6 hours on Thursday. Jenny studies for 2 hours per day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. According to research consistent with the verbal learning theory, which student should perform better on the math exam and why?
A) Jenny, because she studied for more days overall.
B) Neither, they would perform the same because they both studied for the same amount of time overall.
C) John, because all of his studying was massed together.
D) Jenny, because her studying was distribute over time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the verbal learning theory, distributed practice (studying over multiple sessions) is more effective for retention and retrieval of information than massed practice (studying for one long period). Therefore, Jenny should perform better on the math exam as she spread out her studying over multiple days.

John and Jenny Are Both Taking the Same Math Test