The scheduling of practice may influence learning performance, behavioral engagement, and response speed across species. This exploratory study compared massed and distributed training in a visual match-to-sample task involving a three-year-old male mixed-breed domestic dog. A single-subject within-subject design was employed in which the dog underwent both training conditions. The massed condition consisted of 15 planned trials conducted in one continuous 12-minute session, whereas the distributed condition comprised the same number of planned trials divided across three sessions separated by four- to six-hour intervals. Performance was assessed descriptively through task completion, accuracy among completed trials, response latency, behavioral engagement, and positional choice. The dog completed 11 trials during massed training and 12 during distributed training. Accuracy remained broadly comparable, increasing from 64% under the massed condition to 67% under the distributed condition. Average response latency decreased from 3.0 seconds to 1.5 seconds, while fewer nonresponses and greater behavioral engagement were observed during the distributed condition. However, a pronounced left-side preference emerged during distributed training, indicating that reinforcement placement or other unintended environmental cues may have influenced performance. The findings are descriptively consistent with the potential value of spaced practice for maintaining response speed and engagement, but they do not establish superior match-to-sample learning. The study underscores the importance of counterbalancing, neutral reinforcement delivery, repeated observations, and rigorous control of positional cues in future canine-cognition experiments.
Jena Lorraine F. Foncardas, Felisse Marianne Z. San Juan· International Journal of Beh...· 0 citations
This study examined differences in beginner ukulele skill acquisition under three combinations of matcha intake and a practice-reduction reinforcement contingency. A quasi-experimental three-group design was employed involving 15 students aged 18–25 years with no prior musical-instrument experience. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions: no matcha with reinforcement, matcha with reinforcement, or matcha without reinforcement. The reinforcement contingency consisted of shortening the remaining practice period when a participant attained at least 85% performance accuracy at the prescribed tempo twice consecutively. Participants completed two structured practice sessions, followed by retention assessments conducted 24–48 hours after learning. Musical performance was evaluated using accuracy, tempo maintenance, criterion attainment, correct chord progressions, and retention scores. Descriptive results showed that the matcha-with-reinforcement group exhibited the strongest overall performance, including more frequent tempo maintenance, higher criterion attainment, and more correct chord progressions. This group also obtained the highest mean retention score. Welch’s one-way analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant difference in retention across the three conditions, with the matcha-with-reinforcement group outperforming the matcha-only group. However, the small sample and absence of a no-matcha-without-reinforcement condition preclude separate estimates of the two interventions and any conclusion regarding their interaction. The findings provide preliminary evidence that combining physiological stimulation with a structured practice-reduction contingency may support beginner musical learning, although confirmation through a larger, complete factorial experiment is required.
Joycelyn Ann Faith S. Culajara, Felisse Marianne Z. San Juan· International Journal of Beh...· 0 citations