Accuracy of positioning responses as a function of spring loading in a control.

The accuracy of reproducing target positions under various tensions

“…The data revealed that with increasing lever tension, there was a significant decrease in error at all tension levels (t = 5.23, 5.04, and 2.57, df= 54, p< .05) indicating that increased lever resistence did facilitate the accuracy of reproduction at this target position. DISCUSSION The results reported here are not in agreement with the previous findings of decreasing error with increasing lever resistence in positioning responses (Bahrick, Bennett, & Fitts, 1955;Weiss, 1954). The overall effect of tension of the two target positions was nonsignificant; however, inspection of the data revealed differential trends in the two target responses at the three tension levels.…”

“…Although kinesthetic feedback is not directly accessable, some studies have attempted to manipulate the magnitude of kinesthetic feedback by adding tension to perfonnance controls (Howland & Noble, 1953;Weiss, 1954;Bahrick, Bennett, & Fitts, 1955). These studies have found that increased tension on controls facilitated perfonnance.…”

Support for an Explanation of the Guidance Effect in Motor Skill Learning

“…We do so by following the claim made by Anderson et al (2001) that delaying KR over trials (or generally making KR difficult to use) is unlikely to facilitate retention performance when the feedback intrinsic to the task is unfamiliar to the learner. It is pertinent to note again here that several researchers have argued that considerable practice may be required before participants can effectively use the intrinsic feedback associated with aiming or positioning movements that are resisted by spring loading (e.g., Anderson, 1999;Bahrick, Bennett, et al, 1955;Williams, 1974). On the basis of that suggestion, and consistent with Lavery and Suddon's experiment, in which delaying KR over trials facilitated retention of a force-production task after 90 but not after 30 trials, we reasoned that doubling the practice trials given by Anderson et al (2001) might allow the superiority of the Delay-2 group to reemerge on this task.…”

“…First, the spring tension (force) added an additional source of information that the participant could potentially attend to and use, thus increasing our chances of differentiating those participants who did process intrinsic feedback from those who did not on the basis of the number of information sources reported. Second, we were able to address an additional question-whether the beneficial effects of delaying KR over trials would reemerge on this task with a doubling of the amount of practice provided by Anderson et al Several researchers have suggested that considerable practice with KR may be required before participants can effectively use the intrinsic feedback associated with spring loading (Anderson, 1999;Bahrick, Bennett, & Fitts, 1955;Bahrick, Fitts, & Schneider, 1955;Williams, 1974). Moreover, the amount of practice given to participants has been shown to interact with many variables in affecting motor skill learning.…”

The Design of Operator Controls: A Selected Bibliography

“…The studies of Bahrick (12;13; 14; 48), Gibbs (154;155), and Weiss (358; 359; 360) represent superb examples of expePimental rigor. Of particular interest are the studies of Gibbs where displacement cues are minimized and the so-called isometric or pressure control is used.…”