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.
Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. vickers@ucalgary.ca
J N
JN
Vickers
L F
LF
Livingston
S
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Umeris-Bohnert
D
D
Holden
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