title: Retroactive interference and mental practice effects on motor performance: a pilot study.
abstract: This study examined the effect of similar versus dissimilar retroactive interference on the mental practice effects for performing a novel motor skill. Research has shown that mental practice of a motor task can interfere with learning and performance of the task; however, little is known about how different retroactive interference activities affect mental practice effects. 90 volunteers ages 18 to 51 years (M=26.8, SD=9.6) completed a pre-test and post-test of 10 sets of five trials of a throwing task with the non-preferred hand. In the practice phase, participants mentally practiced the throwing task and then mentally practiced a task that was similar, dissimilar, or completed an unrelated reading task. Performance for all groups improved from pre- to post-test; however, there were no differences in increases for the three groups. The findings suggest that mental practice of similar and dissimilar tasks produced no significant interference in performance.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University. peter.kremer@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kremer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spittle
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malseed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D009949:Orientation; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011931:Reactive Inhibition; D055815:Young Adult