A review of the contextual interference effect in motor skill acquisition

Magill, Richard A.; Hall, Kellie Green

doi:10.1016/0167-9457(90)90005-x

Cited by 559 publications

(553 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Overall the current data showed some evidence for both the elaborative processing 746 and action plan reconstruction hypothesis (Magill & Hall, 1990 (Magill & Hall, 1990) and the error processing literature (Lam et al, 2010). The 773 hypothesis suggests that error processing in conjunction with task switching may underpin 774 the increased cognitive effort found for a random compared to blocked structure of practice.…”

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confidence: 67%

“…The elaborative 145 processing hypothesis is directly linked to this and other work on motor learning and, thus, reconstruction hypothesis states that for an upcoming task in random practice 'a person must 149 Running head: PRACTICE STRUCTURE AND COGNITIVE EFFORT 7 retrieve the appropriate motor program representing that action and then add the parameters 150 specific to the constraints and goal of the task to be performed' (Magill & Hall, 1990, pp. 'processing plan' (Carlson & Yaure, 1988) between tasks and either retrieve or reconstruct a 165 new strategy/plan for successive tasks.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The task required participants to anticipate the landing location of tennis shots retrieved and an action executed for interference to occur (e.g., Magill & Hall, 1990). Therefore, it was predicted that a perceptual response would not cause differences in action 274 planning compared to previous research using motor responses, as similar processing will 275 occur due to resonant mechanisms in the brain (e.g., Aglioti et al, 2008).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The two experiments examined the underlying cognitive mechanisms of the CI effect reconstruction hypothesis (Magill & Hall, 1990). …”

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confidence: 99%

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The role of error processing in the contextual interference effect during the training of perceptual-cognitive skills.

Broadbent

Causer

Williams

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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The contextual interference (CI) effect refers to the learning benefits that occur from a random compared with blocked practice order. In this article, the cognitive effort explanation for the CI effect was examined by investigating the role of error processing. In 2 experiments, a perceptual-cognitive task was used in which participants anticipated 3 different tennis skills across a pretest, 3 practice sessions, and retention test. During practice, the skills were presented in either a random or blocked practice order. In Experiment 1, cognitive effort was examined using a probe reaction time (RT) task. In Experiment 2, cognitive effort was manipulated for 2 groups by inserting a cognitively demanding secondary task into the intertrial interval. The CI effect was found in both experiments as the random groups displayed superior learning in the retention test compared with the blocked groups. Cognitive effort during practice was greater in random compared to blocked practice groups in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, greater decrements in secondary task performance following an error were reported for the random group when compared with the blocked group. The suggestion is that not only the frequent switching of tasks in randomized orders causes increased cognitive effort and the CI effect, but it is also error processing in combination with task switching. Findings extend the cognitive effort explanation for the CI effect and propose an alternative hypothesis highlighting the role of error processing.

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confidence: 67%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

“…The two experiments examined the underlying cognitive mechanisms of the CI effect reconstruction hypothesis (Magill & Hall, 1990). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The role of error processing in the contextual interference effect during the training of perceptual-cognitive skills.

Broadbent

Causer

Williams

et al. 2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Perfor

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“…Varying the type of battery used in an electrical circuit, for example, would be varying a surface feature because this does not affect the laws of physics that apply to the circuit while varying the type of circuit (i.e., series or parallel) would be varying a structural feature because this does influences the laws of physics that apply to the circuit. For simple tasks, a robust finding is that high contextual interference results in less effective performance during practice (e.g., more time and/or more trials are necessary to reach a pre-specified level of performance), but higher performance during retention tests (for a review, see Magill & Hall, 1990). Possible explanations for the beneficial effects of high contextual interference are that the different versions of a task reside together in working memory and can be compared and contrasted to each other to yield more elaborate representations in memory (Shea & Zimny, 1983), and that high contextual interference conditions result in repeated forgetting of the action plan, resulting in reconstructive activities that eventually yield more accessible representations in memory (Lee & Magill, 1985).…”

Section: Germane-cognitive-load-inducing Instructional Methods and Tamentioning

confidence: 99%

Instructional Control of Cognitive Load in the Design of Complex Learning Environments

Kester¹,

Paas²,

Merriënboer³

2010

Cognitive Load Theory

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Instructional design theories focus more and more on authentic learning tasks that are based on complex real-life experiences as the driving force for learning. The general assumption of these theories is that providing learners with authentic 'whole' tasks helps them to integrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for effective task performance, gives them the opportunity to learn to coordinate qualitatively different constituent skills that make up this performance, and eventually enables them to transfer what is learned to their daily life or work settings. However, these complex tasks pose such a high load on the learner's cognitive system, that it may interfere with efficient learning if the instructional design is not properly aligned with the cognitive architecture. This chapter uses a cognitive load theory oriented perspective to describe the implications of focusing on complex tasks in instructional design for chosing effective instructional methods. First, the importance of inducing germane load for fostering transfer is outlined. Second, instructional methods that aim at balancing the intrinsic and germane load during complex learning are discussed. Finally, the implications of these methods for instructional design theories are clarified on the basis of three instructional design models that aim at complex learning.Instructional Control of Cognitive Load 3

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Motor Control

Rosenbaum

2002

Stevens' Handbook of Experimental Psychology

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Motor control enables creatures to stabilize or move the body or physical extensions of the body (tools) in desired ways. Typical activities studied by investigators of motor control are walking, reaching, making facial expressions, talking, typing, and writing. Four questions are central to this area of research: (1) How are the elements of movement sequences timed? (2) How does motor activity change as a function of practice? (3) How do particular forms of motor activity emerge when more than one form allows a task to be completed? and (4) How are motor activity and perceptual activity interrelated? The research summarized in this chapter, which addresses these questions through behavioral, neurophysiological, and computational means, shows that motor control relies on surprisingly rich computational machinery.

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A review of the contextual interference effect in motor skill acquisition

Cited by 559 publications

References 34 publications

The role of error processing in the contextual interference effect during the training of perceptual-cognitive skills.

The role of error processing in the contextual interference effect during the training of perceptual-cognitive skills.

Instructional Control of Cognitive Load in the Design of Complex Learning Environments

Motor Control

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