The relative merits of inhibition and consolidation theories of spaced-practice effects were examined in terms of the fidelity with which the theories were able to forecast the decremental consequences of massed practice following differentially spaced practice on a rotary pursuit task. In accordance with inhibition theory and contrary to consolidation theory, the longer the intertrial interval during the spaced-practice sequence, the more rapidly performance declined during the massed-practice sequence. Additional evidence supporting inhibition theory and negating consolidation theory was reviewed.
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