Decision training: the effects of complex instruction, variable practice and reduced delayed feedback on the acquisition and transfer of a motor skill.
Novice, intermediate and advanced baseball hitters followed a 7-week training programme, in which they received either behavioural training or decision training. Participants in the behavioural training group received simple-to-complex instruction, variable practice and an abundance of feedback throughout the acquisition period; the decision training group received complex instruction, variable practice and reduced delayed feedback. As predicted, the intermediate and advanced hitters who received decision training hit at a lower level (%) during acquisition but at a higher level during a transfer test in week 7. Novices in the behavioural training group were better than novices in the decision training group over both acquisition and transfer trials.
Vickers
J N
JN
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. vickers@ucalgary.ca
Livingston
L F
LF
Umeris-Bohnert
S
S
Holden
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001484:Baseball / Q000502:physiology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D005246:Feedback / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis