title: Engaging Environments Enhance Motor Skill Learning in a Computer Gaming Task.
abstract: Engagement during practice can motivate a learner to practice more, hence having indirect effects on learning through increased practice. However, it is not known whether engagement can also have a direct effect on learning when the amount of practice is held constant. To address this question, 40 participants played a video game that contained an embedded repeated sequence component, under either highly engaging conditions (the game group) or mechanically identical but less engaging conditions (the sterile group). The game environment facilitated retention over a 1-week interval. Specifically, the game group improved in both speed and accuracy for random and repeated trials, suggesting a general motor-related improvement, rather than a specific influence of engagement on implicit sequence learning. These data provide initial evidence that increased engagement during practice has a direct effect on generalized learning, improving retention and transfer of a complex motor skill.
authors: a School of Kinesiology, Auburn University , Alabama.
authors: Keith R
authors: KR
authors: Lohse
authors: b Department of Physical Therapy , University of British Columbia , Vancouver , Canada.
authors: Lara A
authors: LA
authors: Boyd
authors: c School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia , Vancouver , Canada.
authors: Nicola J
authors: NJ
authors: Hodges
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D014163:Transfer, Psychology; D018910:Video Games; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: engagement; motivation; motor learning; video games