Re: How does taking breaks restore mental capacity?


"Falk" <Falk.Lieder@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1174074493.341502.123320@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I have read many suggestion on when and how long one should take
breaks. However, I don't know any experiments on this subject.

There have been many experiments on "massed vs. spaced practice," most
taking place, I'm guessing, prior to 1960. A search of PubMed ("massed vs.
spaced practice") returned a meta-analysis of the research, but no current
papers, and none of the past papers, at least under that search phrase. You
could obtain this paper and check the reference section:



Psychol Bull. 2006 May;132(3):354-80



Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative
synthesis.

Cepeda NJ, Pashler H , Vul E , Wixted JT , Rohrer D
Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
ncepeda@xxxxxxxxxxxx

The authors performed a meta-analysis of the distributed practice effect to
illuminate the effects of temporal variables that have been neglected in
previous reviews. This review found 839 assessments of distributed practice
in 317 experiments located in 184 articles. Effects of spacing (consecutive
massed presentations vs. spaced learning episodes) and lag (less spaced vs.
more spaced learning episodes) were examined, as were expanding interstudy
interval (ISI) effects. Analyses suggest that ISI and retention interval
operate jointly to affect final-test retention; specifically, the ISI
producing maximal retention increased as retention interval increased. Areas
needing future research and theoretical implications are discussed.
Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.



I also
wonder how taking breaks restores mental capacity.

Perhaps you should ask whether or not the term "mental" or "mental capacity"
has any merit.

Are there any
neural correlates of mental capacity?

Is "mental capacity" a thing for which there could be "correlates"?
Certainly, when people behave, there are "neural correlates," and mainstream
psychology and the cognitive neuro"science" is has spawned has an insatiable
desire for such facts.

If yes, do they change during
demand and reverse during breaks?

One old theory was that "reactive inhibition" built up during practice, and
dissipated with "rest." I'm guessing that this hypothetical construct has
never been "validated."

How well can blood sugar levels
explain the effectiveness of breaks?

Probably very little.

Which effects do breaks have in
addition to reducing monotony? I am looking for some information on
research findings and references.

Get the meta-analysis.



.

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