A multi-representation approach to the contextual interference effect: effects of sequence length and practice

Abstract

The present study investigated the long-term benefit of Random-Practice (RP) over Blocked-Practice (BP) within the contextual interference (CI) effect for motor learning. We addressed the extent to which motor sequence length and practice amount factors moderate the CI effect given that previous reports, often in applied research, have reported no long-term advantage from RP. Based on predictions arising from the Cognitive framework of Sequential Motor Behavior (C-SMB) and using the Discrete Sequence Production (DSP) task, two experiments were conducted to compare limited and extended practice amounts of 4- and 7-key sequences under RP and BP schedules. Twenty-four-hour delayed retention performance confirmed the C-SMB prediction that the CI-effect occurs only with short sequences that receive little practice. The benefit of RP with limited practice was associated with overnight motor memory consolidation. Further testing with single-stimulus as well as novel and unstructured (i.e., random) sequences indicated that limited practice under RP schedules enhances both reaction and chunking modes of sequence execution with the latter mode benefitting from the development of implicit and explicit forms of sequence representation. In the case of 7-key sequences, extended practice with RP and BP schedules provided for equivalent development of sequence representations. Higher explicit awareness of sequence structures was associated with faster completion of practiced but also of novel and unstructured sequences.

Consolidation of motor sequence learning eliminates susceptibility of SMAproper to TMS: a combined rTMS and cTBS study

“…This corroborates that offline consolidation following practice stabilizes learning and makes it robust against interference of SMAproper by TMS. Offline consolidation has recently been argued to result from repeatedly preparing keying sequences in short term memory (Verwey et al 2021 ). We did not observe indications that stimulation of SMA on day 1 hampered the ensuing offline consolidation (Kim and Wright 2020 ).…”

“…Offline consolidation sometimes also enhances skill (Brashers-Krug et al 1996 ; Handa et al 2016 ; Robertson et al 2004 ; Walker et al 2003 ), and for motor sequences, this enhancement may develop across a period as long as 72 h (Kim et al 2016 ; Wright and Kim 2019 ). Consolidation has been shown to contribute to the well-known benefit of random over blocked practice in the contextual interference paradigm (Kantak et al 2010 ; Kim and Wright 2020 ; Lin et al 2011 ; Verwey et al 2021 ). This benefit of random practice is most likely due to the repeated preparation of motor sequences during random practice which does not occur with short sequences in the blocked practice regime (Verwey et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Consolidation has been shown to contribute to the well-known benefit of random over blocked practice in the contextual interference paradigm (Kantak et al 2010 ; Kim and Wright 2020 ; Lin et al 2011 ; Verwey et al 2021 ). This benefit of random practice is most likely due to the repeated preparation of motor sequences during random practice which does not occur with short sequences in the blocked practice regime (Verwey et al, 2021 ).…”

Association Between Cross-Limb Transfer and Practice Organization

“…A possible limitation in this study was that the VP group kept improving after practice in the response measure, associated with the learning curve profile (not the plateau curve), and this may suggest that VP participants would need a little more practice to present asymptotic behavior on the learning curve. It is worth remembering that in studies on the effect of contextual interference, increasing the amount of practice reduced the beneficial effects of practice with greater variation (Perez et al, 2005; Verwey et al, 2022). Thus, increasing the amount of practice in the VP group might have contributed to our results.…”

Students' Recognition of Concepts of Reflection and Refraction in Multiple Representational Formats

“…It implies that various representations support understanding by containing qualitatively different aspects of the information to be learned or conveying similar information presented in different ways (Treagust et al, 2017). Another benefit is that multiple representations can also support learning if these representations limit each other's possible interpretations when presented simultaneously, especially when one representation is more familiar to the student than the other (Opfermann et al, 2017;Verwey et al, 2021). Finally, combining the multiple representations promotes a more profound understanding when students integrate information from different representation modes (Fatmaryanti et al, 2016); hence, students gain knowledge that is difficult to infer with only one representation.…”