Acquisition of effector-specific and effector-independent components of sequencing skill.
In a serial reaction time task, participants practiced a repeating sequence with 1 hand. In interleaved blocks, they responded to random sequences with the other hand. Experiment 1 was composed of 5 sessions, each consisting of 30 blocks. Intermanual transfer, reflecting a hand-independent component of sequence knowledge, increased across session. A smaller but significant, nontransferable, and hand-specific component was evident in each session and did not increase with practice. Experiment 2 comprised only 1 session. Uninterrupted practice (no interleaved random blocks) improved hand-independent sequence learning in comparison with interrupted practice (as implemented in Experiment 1), whereas hand-specific sequence learning was unaffected by this between-subjects manipulation. These findings suggest separate mechanisms for effector-independent sequence learning and effector-specific acquisition of optimized response coarticulation.
Berner
Michael P
MP
Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. berner@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de
Hoffman
Joachim
J
D000328:Adult; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009048:Motor Skills; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011930:Reaction Time; D014163:Transfer, Psychology