Contextual interference effects on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of a motor skill.

Abstract

This study was based on Battig's conceptualization that increased contextual interference during skill acquisition can lead to improved retention or transfer, especially under changed contextual conditions. Subjects learned three motor tasks under a blocked (low interference) or random (high interference) sequence of presentation. Retention was measured after a 10-min. or 10-day delay under blocked and random sequences of presentation. Subsequent transfer to a task of either the same complexity or greater complexity than the originally learned tasks was also investigated. Results showed that retention was greater following high interference (random) acquisition than after low interference (blocked) acquisition when retention was measured under changed contextual interference conditions. Likewise, transfer was greater for high interference (random) acquisition groups than for low interference (blocked) acquisition groups. This effect was most notable when transfer was measured for the transfer task of greatest complexity. These results are considered as support for Battig's conceptualization of contextual interference effects on retention and transfer. Implications for the teaching of motor skills are also discussed.Research concerned with verbal learning and rule learning has provided evidence that learning under conditions of high intratask interference results in improved retention and, to a lesser extent, facilitation of transfer (Battig, 1972;Hiew, 1977). Battig (1978) has recently incorporated these findings into a general conceptualization of memory that is in line with the levels of processing framework for memory research

Intermittent Practice Facilitates Stable Motor Memories

“…Monotonous repetition of a motor behavior leads to superior immediate performance, but practice with some degree of randomness facilitates long-term retention (Shea and Morgan, 1979;Proteau et al, 1994;Osu et al, 2004). Similarly, in operant conditioning experiments, it has long been known that variable reinforcement schedules lead to associations that are more resistant to extinction than those generated by continuous reward regimens (Skinner, 1953).…”

Hand Rim Wheelchair Propulsion Training Using Biomechanical Real-Time Visual Feedback Based on Motor Learning Theory Principles

“…Careful thought had to be put into the design of practice schedules because they aimed to promote learning acquisition, retention, focus of attention, and transfer of motor skills. Given these considerations, the proposed training protocol has been programmed to provide discontinuous feedback with random ordered repeated training and rest periods (30,36,37). Motor learning literature suggests that continuous real-time feedback tends to decrease learning and retention of motor skills because the person can become dependent on that feedback as a substitute for his or her own error-detection and error-correction capabilities (29,35,38,41).…”

“…Consequently, the question of how to best train an individual remains unclear. Motor learning theory indicates that the way in which visual feedback variables are selected and presented are most critical to skill acquisition, performance, and retention (29)(30)(31)(32).…”

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

“…In accordance with the CI effect, it is expected that the blocked group 215 will demonstrate superior response accuracy (RA) across practice compared to the random 216 group, but in the retention test the random group will demonstrate superior RA compared to 217 the blocked group (Shea & Morgan, 1979). During practice, cognitive effort will be examined 218 by inserting a PRT into two phases of a trial in accordance with the two hypotheses from the 219 CI literature.…”