Differential Transfer Benefits of Increased Practice for Constant, Blocked, and Serial Practice Schedules

Abstract

The effects of practice schedule and amount of practice on the development of the generalized motor program (GMP) and on parameter estimation were investigated. Participants (N = 108) practiced the same relative timing but different absolute durations of a multisegment timing task. Practice schedules (constant, blocked, or serial) were crossed with amounts of practice (low and high). Inclusion of a constant practice condition allowed the authors to investigate the variability of practice prediction. Participants practiced the same proportional durations in a serial or a blocked schedule, which enabled the authors to examine contextual interference. A constant practice schedule enhanced GMP performance when task parameters remained the same, but varied practice schedules were beneficial when task parameters changed. A serial as opposed to a blocked practice schedule was superior when the performance of a task governed by a different GMP was required. Increased practice led to a consolidated task representation that was unavailable for updating.

The effect of constant practice in transfer tests

“…When the transfer test consists of performing a task with the same relative timing structure (same GMP) practiced in the acquisition phase, but with a new value of absolute timing, a lower amount of constant practice produces less relative timing errors than a higher amount of constant practice (Giuffrida,Shea,Fairbrother 13 , see post-test 2). On the other hand, Giuffrida, Shea, Fairbrother 13 did not find an amount of practice effect on absolute timing errors. Using the schema theory concept 1 , the amount of practice affected the GMP, but not the parameterization.…”

“…Using the schema theory concept 1 , the amount of practice affected the GMP, but not the parameterization. A possible explanation for this interaction between the amount of practice and constant practice is that the relative and absolute dimensions were consolidated, in the course of acquisition, into a single unit that was unavailable for updating 13 . Studies using new paradigms of investigation have also shown that transfer depends on type and amount of practice experienced 26,27 .…”

“…Together, these two measures provided new explanations regarding the role of practice schedules in the learning of skills 14 . Focusing only on the effects of the constant practice, the results of studies have shown that the trial-to-trial stability produced by the constant practice impact more on the learning of the relative timing dimension of the task than the absolute dimension 13,15,16 . In other words, constant practice promotes the learning of a structure of movement, but does not favor the enhancement of parameter estimation in a transfer context.…”

“…Usually, these studies [13][14][15][16] applied transfer tests with a new absolute timing criterion far outside of the range practiced by constant group. As an example, the constant practice group practiced with an absolute timing criterion of 900ms, while random practice group practiced three absolute timing criteria (700, 900 and 1.100ms), and these groups were tested in a new absolute criterion timing of 1.300ms.…”

“…Two dependent measures to investigate the role of practice in learning have been used in studies whose theory of schema is the theoretical framework [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] . The first measure, the relative timing errors, inform on the learning process of the movement structure, or the GMP, which is characterized by a well-defined pattern of relative timing.…”