title: Cognitive, perceptual-speed, and psychomotor determinants of individual differences during skill acquisition.
abstract: The authors describe a series of experiments that explore 3 major ability determinants of individual differences in skill acquisition in the context of prior theory (e.g., P.L. Ackerman, 1988) and subsequent empirical and theoretical research. Experiment 1 assessed the predictability of individual differences in asymptotic skill levels on the Kanfer-Ackerman Air Traffic Controller (ATC) task. Experiment 2 provided an exploration of the construct space underlying perceptual-speed abilities. Experiment 3 concerned an evaluation of theoretical predictions for individual differences in performance over skill development in a complex air traffic control simulation task (TRACON) and the ATC task, with an extensive battery of general and perceptual-speed measures, along with a newly developed PC-based suite of psychomotor ability measures. Evidence addressing the predictability of individual differences in performance at early, intermediate, and asymptotic levels of practice is presented.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Psychology Building, 274 Fifth Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0170, USA. phillip.ackerman@psych.gatech.edu
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ackerman
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Cianciolo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D001076:Aptitude; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012984:Software