Sip and Strum: Matcha Intake and a Practice-Reduction Reinforcement Contingency in Beginner Ukulele Skill Acquisition

Abstract

This study examined differences in beginner ukulele skill acquisition under three combinations of matcha intake and a practice-reduction reinforcement contingency. A quasi-experimental three-group design was employed involving 15 students aged 18–25 years with no prior musical-instrument experience. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions: no matcha with reinforcement, matcha with reinforcement, or matcha without reinforcement. The reinforcement contingency consisted of shortening the remaining practice period when a participant attained at least 85% performance accuracy at the prescribed tempo twice consecutively. Participants completed two structured practice sessions, followed by retention assessments conducted 24–48 hours after learning. Musical performance was evaluated using accuracy, tempo maintenance, criterion attainment, correct chord progressions, and retention scores. Descriptive results showed that the matcha-with-reinforcement group exhibited the strongest overall performance, including more frequent tempo maintenance, higher criterion attainment, and more correct chord progressions. This group also obtained the highest mean retention score. Welch’s one-way analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant difference in retention across the three conditions, with the matcha-with-reinforcement group outperforming the matcha-only group. However, the small sample and absence of a no-matcha-without-reinforcement condition preclude separate estimates of the two interventions and any conclusion regarding their interaction. The findings provide preliminary evidence that combining physiological stimulation with a structured practice-reduction contingency may support beginner musical learning, although confirmation through a larger, complete factorial experiment is required.