Contextual interference effects with two tasks.
The present study was intended to test whether the standard contextual interference effect would be observed when only two patterns were practiced in blocked or random schedules of multisegment movement tasks rather than three patterns which is the norm. In line with the basic effect, Blocked learners' performance was closer to ideal during acquisition, but Random learners had smaller errors at 24-hr. retention. In addition, random learners had better recall of the details of the patterns they had practiced. Learners' predictions of retention performance did not match the group differences actually observed.
Simon
Dominic A
DA
Department of Psychology, MSC 3452, New Mexico State University, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA. domsimon@nmsu.edu
D000328:Adult; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014163:Transfer, Psychology / Q000502:physiology