SAT Reading & Writing · Rhetorical Synthesis
A student has researched study techniques and compiled the following notes: - Massed practice, or cramming, often produces rapid gains in…
A student has researched study techniques and compiled the following notes:
- Massed practice, or cramming, often produces rapid gains in short-term performance during a single study session.
- Spaced practice, spreading study sessions out over time, usually produces better retention when tested after a delay.
- Many learners prefer cramming because the material feels easier and more fluent to process during the session itself.
- The ideal gap between study sessions depends on how long the learner needs to retain the material.
- Some difficulty during retrieval practice can actually strengthen long-term learning.
- The benefit of spaced practice over massed practice has been observed across many different types of material.
The student wants to explain why learners often choose a study method that isn't the most effective for long-term retention. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
- Massed practice, or cramming, often produces rapid gains in short-term performance during a single study session.
- Spaced practice, spreading study sessions out over time, usually produces better retention when tested after a delay.
- Many learners prefer cramming because the material feels easier and more fluent to process during the session itself.
- The ideal gap between study sessions depends on how long the learner needs to retain the material.
- Some difficulty during retrieval practice can actually strengthen long-term learning.
- The benefit of spaced practice over massed practice has been observed across many different types of material.
The student wants to explain why learners often choose a study method that isn't the most effective for long-term retention. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Answer and explanation
Answer: A: Because massed practice feels more fluent and produces rapid short-term gains, learners often prefer it even though spaced practice usually produces better retention when tested after a delay.
The goal specifically asks why learners choose a suboptimal method, which requires naming both the appealing but less effective method and the reason it feels appealing despite being less effective. A is the only choice built around that exact contrast. B names a related but separate consideration about timing. C and D each describe a true supporting detail without addressing why learners make the choice they do.
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