Auditory training for adults who have hearing loss: A comparison of spaced versus massed practice schedules

Purpose: The spacing effect in human memory research later. In line with transfer appropriate processing theory, refers to situations in which people learn items better when tests assessed both trained tasks and an untrained task. they study items in spaced intervals rather than massed Results: Auditory training improved the speech recognition intervals. This investigation was conducted to compare performance of participants in both groups. Benefits were the efficacy of meaning-oriented auditory training when maintained for 3 months. No effect of practice schedule administered with a spaced versus massed practice was found on overall benefits achieved, on retention of schedule. benefits, nor on generalizability of benefits to nontrained Method: Forty-seven adult hearing aid users received 16 hr tasks. of auditory training. Participants in a spaced group (mean Conclusion: The lack of spacing effect in otherwise age = 64.6 years, SD = 14.7) trained twice per week, and effective auditory training suggests that perceptual participants in a massed group (mean age = 69.6 years, learning may be subject to different influences than are SD = 17.5) trained for 5 consecutive days each week. other types of learning, such as vocabulary learning. Participants completed speech perception tests before Hence, clinicians might have latitude in recommending training, immediately following training, and then 3 months training schedules to accommodate patients’ schedules.