Which practice type involves different targets practiced during various phases?

Which practice type involves different targets practiced during various phases?

• A. Constant practice
• B. Variable practice
• C. Blocked practice
• D. Random practice

Answer: (D)

Random practice tests how learning benefits from switching targets across practice phases. When you practice with different targets in a mixed, unpredictable order, you must continually readjust your plan for each attempt. That variability creates higher contextual interference, which makes retrieval and problem-solving more effortful during practice but leads to stronger retention and better transfer to new targets later. Constant practice keeps the same target repeated over and over, so there’s no variation to challenge retrieval. Blocked practice repeats one target in a block before moving to the next, reducing the need to rapidly reconfigure the plan. Variable practice introduces different targets or task variations, but it isn’t necessarily arranged in a random, interleaved sequence—random practice specifically emphasizes the unpredicted order of targets across phases.

Random practice tests how learning benefits from switching targets across practice phases. When you practice with different targets in a mixed, unpredictable order, you must continually readjust your plan for each attempt. That variability creates higher contextual interference, which makes retrieval and problem-solving more effortful during practice but leads to stronger retention and better transfer to new targets later.

Constant practice keeps the same target repeated over and over, so there’s no variation to challenge retrieval. Blocked practice repeats one target in a block before moving to the next, reducing the need to rapidly reconfigure the plan. Variable practice introduces different targets or task variations, but it isn’t necessarily arranged in a random, interleaved sequence—random practice specifically emphasizes the unpredicted order of targets across phases.