The effects of repeated retention tests can benefit as well as degrade timing performance.
In this study, we examined the effects of interference and repeated retention tests by comparing groups that performed (a) one or two tests, or (b) two tests separated by interpolated tasks. The task involved pressing five keys in 925 ms. Constant error increased after Block 1 of the second test for the group completing the interpolated tasks. Variable error decreased across retention tests and was smaller for the two-test groups compared to the one-test control. Results differed from previous reports of degraded timing accuracy (Magnuson, Shea, & Fairbrother 2004), suggesting the present results may have been related to highly accurate performance during the first retention test that reflected successful initial encoding of task information.
Fairbrother
Jeffrey T
JT
Department of Exercise, Sport, and Leisure Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996-2700, USA. jfairbr1@utk.edu
Barros
Joao Augusto de Camargo
JA
D000328:Adult; D003201:Computers; D006801:Humans; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D013997:Time Factors