title: Discontinuity in cognitive skill.
abstract: Skill at reading geometrically transformed text improves as a function of practice across pages. A belief in continuity of learning must suppose a proportionate improvement in skill within pages. We tested for continuity of learning by comparing performance within pages with performance between pages, varying timing of text presentation and quantity of text presented for the purpose. Reanalysis of some published data and three new experiments indicated that skill is acquired continuously as a function of practice but is expressed discontinuously. We conjecture that the expression of skill requires perceptual segregation of tasks into task units to which skill is transferred, whereas acquisition of competence occurs as a strict function of practice.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kolers
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Duchnicky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D011601:Psychophysics; D011932:Reading; D014796:Visual Perception