Mixing topics while studying does not enhance learning.
Abstract
Abstract According to a recent survey, it is common for students to study two topics at the same time using flashcards, and students who do so virtually always keep the topics separate instead of mixing flashcards together ( Wissman, Rawson, & Pyc, 2012 ). We predicted that mixing might be a relatively easy way to increase learning efficiency because mixing increases the spacing between repetitions of a given item, and spacing enhances long-term learning. We compared two conditions: in the mixed condition, participants alternated on each trial between studying anatomy terms and Indonesian translations. In the unmixed condition they studied one topic and then the other. Items were interleaved within item-type in both conditions. Mixing did not have reliable effects when participants studied flashcards in a single day (Experiments 1 and 2) or on two different days (Experiments 3 and 4). Thus, the results seem to disconfirm two sets of beliefs: students’ universal belief that mixing flashcards is undesirable and cognitive psychologists’ belief that doing so should be encouraged.
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Studies that have interleaved unrelated items have not found this to be beneficial.
“studies that have interleaved unrelated items have not found this to be beneficial”
From A systematic review of interleaving as a concept learning strategy (2021) · cites this paper as Hausman and Kornell (2014)
Hausman and Kornell (2014) suggested that word pairs might be very easily distinguished, so the discriminative-contrast hypothesis was not tested, and because there was no rest-from-deliberate-learning period, the spacing effect was again not obtained.
“They suggested that word pairs might be very easily distinguished, so the discriminativecontrast hypothesis was not tested. Since there was no rest-from-deliberate-learning period, the spacing effect was again not obtained.”
From Spacing and Interleaving Effects Require Distinct Theoretical Bases: a Systematic Review Testing the Cognitive Load and Discriminative-Contrast Hypotheses (2021) · cites this paper as Hausman and Kornell (2014)
Hausman and Kornell (2014) found a null effect when students learned word pairs in either interleaved or massed practice.
“Similarly, when asking students to learn word pairs, such as anatomy names and Indonesian words, in either interleaved or massed practice, a null effect was found by Hausman and Kornell (2014).”
From Spacing and Interleaving Effects Require Distinct Theoretical Bases: a Systematic Review Testing the Cognitive Load and Discriminative-Contrast Hypotheses (2021) · cites this paper as Hausman and Kornell (2014)
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- Authors
- Hausman, H., & Kornell, N.
- Affiliations
- Williams College (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition
- Published
- 2014-09
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 153-160
- ISSN
- 2211-3681 (ISSN-L)
- 2211-369X
- OpenAlex
- W2154666168
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 0.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- James S. McDonnell Foundation
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Keywords
- flashcards, interleaving, mixed practice, spacing effect, long-term learning, vocabulary acquisition, Indonesian translation, learning efficiency
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