{
  "schemaVersion": "1.0",
  "slug": "worked-example-fading-48-problem-protocol-test",
  "title": "When Should a Worked Example Fade? A 48-Problem Protocol Test",
  "runDate": "2026-07-28",
  "executed": true,
  "sanitized": true,
  "question": "How do fixed, abrupt, performance-contingent, and error-contingent fading rules behave on frozen performance traces?",
  "baseline": "A fixed fading calendar removes support according to position even when the visible performance trace has not stabilized.",
  "protocol": [
    "Freeze twelve synthetic performance traces and apply four fading rules to each.",
    "Record when support first fades, whether fading precedes the declared success signal, and whether support returns after error.",
    "Compare protocol behavior without claiming a causal learning effect."
  ],
  "sample": {
    "traces": 12,
    "rules": 4,
    "protocolRuns": 48
  },
  "results": {
    "fixed": {
      "prematureFades": 3,
      "restoresAfterError": 0
    },
    "abrupt": {
      "prematureFades": 9,
      "restoresAfterError": 0
    },
    "performance-contingent": {
      "prematureFades": 0,
      "restoresAfterError": 0
    },
    "error-contingent": {
      "prematureFades": 0,
      "restoresAfterError": 12
    }
  },
  "negativeFindings": [
    "No rule demonstrated better learning because the experiment compared control logic, not learner outcomes."
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "The frozen traces are synthetic and omit motivation, misconception type, time on task, and delayed transfer."
  ],
  "records": [
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F01",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F02",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F03",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F04",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F05",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F06",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F07",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F08",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F09",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F10",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F11",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "fixed",
      "traceId": "F12",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F01",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F02",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F03",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F04",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F05",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F06",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F07",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F08",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F09",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F10",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F11",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": true,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "abrupt",
      "traceId": "F12",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F01",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F02",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F03",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F04",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F05",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F06",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F07",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F08",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F09",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F10",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F11",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "performance-contingent",
      "traceId": "F12",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 2,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": false
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F01",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F02",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F03",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 6,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F04",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F05",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F06",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F07",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 6,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F08",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F09",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 2,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 4,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F10",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 3,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 5,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F11",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 4,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 6,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    },
    {
      "rule": "error-contingent",
      "traceId": "F12",
      "consecutiveSuccessBeforeFirstError": 1,
      "supportFadesAtProblem": 3,
      "premature": false,
      "supportRestoredAfterError": true
    }
  ]
}