The Factor of Time in Pursuit Rotor Learning

The effects of pacing and distribution on intercorrelations of motor abilities.

“…Investigators have differed in what they have called distributed practice, but with motor tests some degree of distribution of work leads to equal or better performance than continuous work. This statement is confirmed by studies with the pursuit rotor (7,8,9,17), pursuit-meter (n), and pursuit oscillator (16). Directly applicable here are two studies done for the Army Air Force, with the apparatus employed in the present study.…”

Studies in serial verbal discrimination learning. I. Reminiscence with two speeds of pair presentation.

“…That such general habits should be forgotten in a short rest period is not at all likely especially since normal angular coordinations are actually practiced in the rest periods by most subjects. If these interfering responses are not forgotten but practiced, if anything, during a rest, how can they produce the reminiscence obtained by Humphreys (10) and others in pursuit learning?…”

Rest pauses in motor learning as related to Snoddy's hypothesis on mental growth.

“…A number of studies on the time factor in motor learning have been the outgrowth of Snoddy's work. Humphreys (12), a student of Snoddy, has tested the Snoddy hypothesis by means of the Koerth pursuit rotor,1 involving eyehand coordination. Humphreys believes that his results agree with Snoddy's in showing greater gains in the early stages of learning between practice periods, while in the later part of learning the gains are made during practice periods.…”