Notes: Evaluation of Physical Education in North Carolina High Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in learning to perform a novel motor task between two equated groups: one group was subjected to learning the task immediately following a heavy physical work bout on a bicycle ergometer; the other group was subjected to learning the task with no imposed physical exercise. It was found that the subjects who practiced the stabilometer exercise in a fatigued state performed significantly better than subjects in the control group except for test 4. The experimental group also performed significantly better than the control group during the 5th test which was performed without any fatiguing task. It appears from this study that the fatigue state of the learner had a favorable influence on both performance and learning of certain novel motor skills.     

Effects of Task Height and Practice on Static Balance

Abstract

Two static balance tasks were practiced by 15 subjects three times a day for 15 days. To determine the effect that task height might have on static balance, one task was raised to a height of 4 feet above the ground. The high balance task yielded a high temporal stability coefficient (r = .97). Although there was no significant difference between the means of the Low and High Balance tasks during the preliminary trials, the fourth day marked the beginning of a progressively widening differentiation of the means of the two tasks. A least-squares polynomial curve fit indicated that the learning curve for each task was best described by equations of differing degrees, that of a third order polynomial for the Low Balance Task and a second order polynomial for the High Balance Task. Although the learning curves of the two tasks were dissimilar, the performance of the subjects on the Low Balance Task was highly related to their performance on the High Balance Task.     

Relationship of Trait Anxiety,Peer Presence,Task Difficulty,and Skill Acquisition of Sixth-Grade Boys

Abstract

The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) trait anxiety questionnaire was administered to all sixth-grade boys at one school (N = 181). Based on results of the questionnaire, 40 high-anxious and 40 low-anxious subjects were identified for participation in the study. Stratified random assignments of these subjects in a counterbalanced manner resulted in the creation of eight experimental groups. The effects of an audience and task difficulty on learning and performance were considered in the experimental design. Two social conditions—learning in the presence of a single spectator or alone—and two conditions of task difficulty on the pursuit rotor—hard and easy—were employed. Each subject was tested on one day, under one condition of task difficulty, and under one social condition. Data were treated with a three-factor multivariate analysis of variance. Dependent variables were three STAIC anxiety scale scores used to evaluate within-task feelings of anxiety and three mean performance scores for each of three blocks of pursuit rotor trials. The results of the analyses indicated that significant main effects due to social situation were not apparent until the last block of trials, when subjects in the spectator condition did better. State anxiety scores for those who performed alone were significantly higher than for those who performed with a spectator present over all blocks of trials.

Although low-anxious subjects' overall mean performance scores were higher than high-anxious subjects' on the hard task, they were not significantly different from each other until the last block of trials. The overall mean performance scores for both groups for the easy task proved significantly higher for the low-anxious group. Though the results partially support the hypothesis that a spectator increases the learner's drive and facilitates performance, the majority of the results favor the theoretical hypotheses that a spectator reduces drive and serves to console or reassure the learner.     

Accuracy of a Perspective Control Lens

Abstract

The contextual interference (CI) effect has been replicated many times since its first demonstration by Shea and Morgan (1979) in the motor learning domain (see Brady, 1998; Magill&;Hall, 1990). The CI effect is characterized by the observation that experiencing greater interference during acquisition is detrimental to immediate performance but enhances delayed performance as measured on retention or transfer tests. High CI is most often created by random practice in which the learning of multiple tasks occurs in a single training. In contrast, low CI is frequently created by using a blocked practice format in which all the practice trials of one task are completed before another task is introduced. One theoretical account that has been forwarded to account for the CI effect is labeled the action plan reconstruction hypothesis (Lee&;Magill, 1983, 1985). This position intimates that before a movement occurs an “action plan” must be prepared. In blocked practice, a previously prepared “action plan” is readily available from trial to trial, but it suffers from lack of attention on trials following initial retrieval from working memory. In random practice, however, each time a task must be executed a “reconstruction” of the action plan must be processed, because the interchange of information from trial to trial never allows the same information to remain in working memory for an extended amount of time. Presumably, the additional trial-to-trial preparation used by the random practice participant during practice results in a more resilient memory representation that better supports long-term recall efforts compared to their blocked practice counterparts.     

Cognitive Style and Learner Strategy Interaction in the Performance of Primary and Related Maze Tasks

Abstract

The effect of designated learning strategies and reflective versus impulsive cognitive styles on performance in a maze learning task was investigated. Twenty-four female subjects were randomly assigned to a strategy or control group. The strategies group was provided with three potentially effective strategies (imagery, rhythm, and feedback) as identified by an information processing task analysis procedure. The Matching Familiar Figures test further classified subjects within the two groups according to their preferred styles of responding. Eleven primary task trials were administered with direct view of maze and four related task trials were completed with an indirect view of it. Traversal speed and time in the incorrect pathways were analyzed with a 2 × 2 × 7 (Strategies × Cognitive Styles × Trial Blocks) repeated measures ANOVA. A significant three-way interaction was found for both dependent measures. As hypothesized, during the primary task the control reflective subjects traversed the maze more slowly than the control impulsive subjects. However, the strategies reflective subjects completed the maze with the same speed as strategies impulsives. The incorrect pathways × time interaction revealed that the control reflective subjects spent less time in the incorrect pathways during the related task than the control impulsives. No significant differences were found for strategies reflectives or impulsives. These findings indicate that, for this maze task that emphasized speed, the performance of reflective and impulsive subjects was facilitated by appropriate learning strategies.     

“Best” versus “Average” Individual Scores

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to determine if the presence of spectators when learning a complex motor task affected the performance of high- and low-anxious subjects. Forty-eight high- and 48 low-anxious subjects learned a coincident timing task alone or in the presence of an audience. Once the task was learned to a criterion, subjects performed 10 trials alone or in the presence of an audience. Palmar sweat gland activity was measured by counting the number of active sweat glands from a plastic mold. Absolute error found the mode of learning had no effect on performance. Absolute error intravariance, however, indicated that subjects who learned the task in the presence of an audience performed less consistently alone than subjects who performed in the presence of an audience. The anxiety level of the subject did not interact with the performance. Palmar sweat gland results showed increased arousal when in the presence of an audience.     

Analysis of Stroke Organization in the Backstroke as a Function of Skill

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of three different amounts of practice in combination with two types of variable practice conditions upon schema development. Seventy-two subjects were administered either 6, 18, or 36 trials while learning to move to either one- or three-criteria goals on the linear positioning task. Subjects then had 18 no-KR (knowledge of results) trials to produce a novel response. The statistical analysis revealed a significant three-way interaction for absolute error while no significant main or interaction effects existed for constant or variable error. Analysis of the simple main effects showed that the various amounts of practice produced similar performances for the subjects learning to move to only one criterion goal. For the subjects learning to move to three criteria goals during initial practice, the amount of practice provided was a significant factor in the accuracy and strength of the motor schema. Partial support is presented for schema theory.     

“Three Specially Selected Athletes” and a Recapitulation of the Pennsylvania Walking Purchase of 1737

Abstract

The generality of the variability in practice prediction, arising from Schmidt's schema theory (1975) of motor learning was tested on young children. More specifically, the structure of the variability session and its subsequent influence on transfer performance to a novel variation of the task was examined. Children tossed a weighted bean bag to a fixed target location. Three groups experienced variability in practice with four bean bags of varying weights (3, 4, 5, and 6 oz.); however, the trial-by-trial presentation of each weight was different for each group. One group received a random presentation of each weight from trial to trial while another experienced random presentations of a weight for blocks of three trials. The third variability group received blocked practice with six trials per block for each weight. All variability groups experienced the same amount of practice at each weight. A constant practice group experienced only a single weight. Following 24 practice trials, all subjects transferred outside the range of previous experience, receiving three trials with one of two possible test weights (2 oz. or 7 oz.). The results indicated that the variability group practicing with blocks of three trials at each variation led to superior performance at transfer to novel variations of the task. Overall, the experiment suggested that transfer performance for children is affected by the appropriate structure of variable practice which formulates the schemata for movement production.     

Levels of Aspiration of High- and Low-Skilled Boys

Abstract

The stated levels of aspirations (L/A's) of high-skilled and low-skilled boys were examined to determine if they differed under prearranged conditions of failure in a simple motor task. Subjects were selected on the basis of their performances on a modified form of the Iowa Brace test. The motor task consisted of moving small blocks from one board to another. Preceding each of three trials, the subjct stated how many blocks he reasonably thought he could move in the succeeding 30-second trial. After a universal performance level was established, failure was induced by systematically stopping the subject before he attained his L/A. A 2×3 factorial design with repeated measures on the second-factor was employed. Analysis of variance indicated that the main effects of skill level and trials were significant at the .05 level. Analysis of simple effects indicated that the L/A's of the high- and low-skilled groups differed significantly only on the third trial (p = .05) and that failure had a significant effect on both groups (p = .10). High-skilled subjects expressed higher L/A's than did low-skilled subjects. All subjects' L/A's lowered significantly over trials. The L/A's of the high-skilled group as compared to the low-skilled group over the three trials did not indicate differential responses.     

Consolidation of Pursuit Rotor Learning under Conditions of Induced Arousal

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to test the basic tenets of consolidation theory by studying the relationship between arousal and the performance and learning of a pursuit rotor task. Ninety-six subjects (48 men and 48 women) were randomly assigned to one of three induced arousal conditions (control, failure-feedback, and electrical shock). Subjects were given twenty-one 20-second acquisition trials under induced arousal conditions, followed 24 or 48 hours later by nine trials in the absence of induced arousal (trials 22–30). The Spielberger A-trait test was administered before the 21 acquisition trials and the A-state test was given afterward. The results of the A-trait test revealed that arousal conditions were equal in terms of normal anxiety levels, while results of the A-state test demonstrated that subjects under induced arousal conditions were indeed stressed (had higher levels of state anxiety). The 21 acquisition trials (seven three-trial blocks) were analyzed using time on target (TOT) scores to determine the effects of arousal on performance. The results of this analysis revealed reliable differences for sex and trial blocks, but not for arousal. A significant triple interaction among the three main effects was primarily caused by a decrement in performance by the female subjects who received failure-feedback. TOT recall scores failed to reveal a facilitative effect due to arousal as predicted by perseverative consolidation theory. In summary, the results of the investigation provided partial support for the action decrement notion but none for the action increment notion of consolidation theory.     

The Generalizability Effectiveness of a Learning Strategy on Achievement in Related Closed Motor Skills

Abstract

This study determined the effectiveness of a global learning strategy on the skill level attained in one closed primary task and two related ones. Eighty subjects were randomly assigned to five groups equal in number and sex: a content-dependent strategy group (CDS), a content-dependent strategy plus reminders group (CDSR), a content-independent strategy group (CIS), a content-independent strategy plus reminders group (CISR), or a control group. A content dependent strategy is one learned in reference to a specific task; in this case, the primary one. A content independent strategy is learned in the context of many example tasks. Subjects performed underhanded dart throwing as the primary task, jart throwing (similar in nature to dart throwing) as the directly related task, and soccer foul shooting as the slightly related task. The strategy used to test the hypotheses generated was the Singer 5-Step Strategy. ANOVAs indicated that all of the strategy learning conditions were significantly more effective than the control condition for each task. Furthermore, the CIS learning situation was more beneficial for the learning of the task most related to the primary task than the CDS learning situation. The CISR group outperformed the other strategy groups in the less-related task.     

New Books Briefly Noted

Abstract

Little research has investigated the observational learning process from a developmental perspective. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research by considering two factors: performance versus learning and sequencing versus form scores. Children 'N = 60) comprising two age groups (5-0 to 6-11 and 8-0 to 9-11 years) were randomly assigned to verbal rehearsal only, model only, or model plus verbal rehearsal conditions. The task was a 6 part motor skill sequence in which proper sequencing and quality of form were assessed. A 2 × 3 × 4 (age group by model type by trial blocks) repeated measures MANOVA revealed a significant three-way interaction. Older children performed equally well under any of the model type conditions during both performance and learning. For younger children, a model plus rehearsal was superior to rehearsal only on sequence and form at performance and learning and superior to model only on sequence scores during the first two performance trial blocks. Model only and model plus rehearsal conditions were equally effective on form scores. These results suggest that age differences exist in the modeling of motor skills under conditions varying in model type, sequence and form scores, and performance and learning phases.     

Feedback and Skill Learning

Abstract

This study was an investigation of the course of learning a specified arm movement pattern under conditions that varied as to the type and frequency of feedback information. After several days of practice, subjects performed a criterion test which was the same as the learning movement pattern, but explicit visual feedback was withdrawn.

Forty undergraduate students were divided into five groups. Each group was randomly assigned a method of learning the task. The methods of receiving information about performance were as follows: (a) concurrent visual feedback, (b) concurrent proprioceptive feedback and terminal knowledge of graphs, (c) a combination of (a) and (b), (d) concurrent visual feedback interspersed with passive watching, and (e) concurrent visual feedback at two different speeds.

The results indicated the following: (a) the most effective variable for learning the pattern was concurrent visual feedback, (b) performing the movement at a slower than normal rate was detrimental to performance on the criterion test, (c) sitting and watching was as effective a learning method as performing at two speeds, and (d) subjects in the slow-standard speed group were significantly poorer than subjects in other groups during performance of the criterion test. The other methods did not differ significantly from each other.     

Composition of Practice: Influence on the Retention of Motor Skills

Abstract

The purpose of these experiments was to investigate further the variable practice effect found by Shea and Kohl (1990). Experiment 1 was an initial attempt to determine the locus of the retention benefits demonstrated by subjects provided variable practice experiences. All groups received 20 acquisition blocks consisting of five test trials per block at a target of 150 N. The interval between test trials was either unfilled or filled, with additional trials consisting of the same target force, variable target forces, or practice on an unrelated motor task. The results indicated retention was not incremented (relative to an unfilled interval) by requiring subjects to perform an unrelated motor task in the intertest–trial interval. However, when the intertest–trial interval was filled with practice on related motor tasks, retention was significantly improved. Experiment 2 assessed the impact of increasing the number of related motor tasks interpolated between test trials. The results indicated filling the intertest–trial interval with one motor task resulted in large retention benefits relative to an unfilled interval. Further increases in the number of related motor tasks (3) interpolated between test trials resulted in only modest increments to retention. The results were consistent with the elaboration perspective proposed by Shea and Zimny (1983). The elaboration perspective proposes that the simultaneous presence of related items in working memory facilitates interitem elaborative and distinctive processing that ultimately results in retention benefits.     

The Effects of a Single Reminder Trial on Retention of a Motor Skill

Two experiments investigated the effects of a single reminder trial on immediate and delayed retention. Experiment 1 determined if beneficial effects of a reminder trial were a function of task order. Immediate retention performance benefited only when the reminder trial was practiced in the first block of trials. Experiment 2 added a 24-hr delayed retention test to examine the long-term benefits of a reminder trial. Retention performance was enhanced over both delay intervals. The long-term effect extended previous research (Shea & Titzer, 1993) that documented effects after 10 min. The use of a single reminder trial established that intertask comparisons between multiple reminder trials were not a precondition for the reminder trial effect as postulated by Shea and Titzer.     

Effects of Mental Practice on the Acquisition of Motor Skills of Varied Difficulty

Abstract

Male volunteers (N=80) were randomly assigned to either a control or a mental practice group for the learning of three motor skills, the hock swing to a horizontal bar, jump-foot, and soccer hitch kick. All subjects were tested individually on each of the skills but one group engaged in five directed mental practice sessions spaced over a period of 5 days prior to being tested. Significant differences between groups in initial trial success were obtained for the hock swing but not for the other two skills. After physical practice was introduced, the mental practice group required fewer trials to achieve success in the hock swing and the jump-foot but not in the soccer hitch kick. It was concluded that the effectiveness of mental practice without prior physical practice is specific to the skill and is more pronounced for simpler skills.     

Performance and Learning in a Discrete Motor Task under Massed Vs. Distributed Practice

Abstract

Three hundred male subjects, assigned in systematic rotation to five experimental groups (N = 60 in each) which differed in amount of distribution of practice, were tested on a discrete-trial motor learning task, the peg turn. All subjects were given 120 practice trials (60 trials a day), on two days separated by a 48-hour rest. Even though the peg turn task is inherently distributed, reminiscence did occur when the massing was made as large as practically possible. The amount of reminiscence depended upon the stage of practice. Warm-up decrement occurred in the peg turn under both massed and distributed practice conditions; the longer the rest, the greater the amount. Performance of the task under nonrhythmical conditions reduced the development of “set” during practice and thus decreased the amount of warm-up decrement after rest. Increased amounts of massing did have a deleterious effect on performance, but did not reduce the amount learned.     

Effect of Exertional Trend during Cycle Ergometry on Postexercise Affect

Purpose: Improvements in motor performance and coordination may be impacted by the interaction of practice and organismic constraints. It has been proposed that these aspects of motor learning are achieved at a different time rate: first, during placement of the events (performance), and second, segmental spatiotemporal relationships (coordination). We focused on the acquisition of the longswing in high bar as one basic skill in gymnastics. The aim of this study was to determine how longswing performance and coordination change to increase swing amplitude as age and expertise increase. Method: One hundred and thirteen male gymnasts were classified into 5 distinct age groups (G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5) on the basis of the national competition rules. Longswing performance (swing amplitude and event placements) and coordination (positive and negative areas in the continuous relative phase) were measured for each group. Results: Analyses of variance revealed that the adequate placement and coordination of the earlier events were achieved in younger groups (G1, G2), while later events and their coordination were accomplished by the older groups (G3 through G5). Conclusion: Our results suggested that the process of longswing acquisition, as age and expertise increase, follows a progression parallel to the temporal occurrence of the task events, instead of the proposed learning sequence of event placement first and then coordination.     

The Role of Interference and Task Similarity on the Acquisition,Retention, and Transfer of Simple Motor Skills

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine if two levels of task similarity influenced acquisition, retention, and transfer performance of three simple motor skills. Sixty right-handed subjects were randomly assigned to one of five (n = 12) experimental conditions. Each subject performed 72 trials during acquisition. Twenty-four trials were recorded for each movement task. Following a 5-min unfilled retention interval, subjects performed 4 trials on each task before completing 12 transfer trials of a novel movement. Contextual interference effects for acquisition and retention were supported for low but not high similarity tasks. Further, the results suggest that a different memory representation exists for high and low similarity tasks.     

Distribution of Practice in Motor Skill Acquisition: Different Effects for Discrete and Continuous Tasks

Abstract

Research on the benefits of distributed practice for the acquisition and retention of motor skills has a long history. The majority of this research has involved skill acquisition of continuous tasks. However, there is some evidence to suggest that distribution of practice effects are quite different for discrete tasks than for continuous tasks. In the present study, we used a single task, formed discrete and continuous versions of the task, and examined how acquisition and retention were affected by the length of inter-trial interval. The basic task was a movement timing task that involved either one timing estimate per trial (the “discrete” version) or twenty successive estimates per trial (the “continuous” version). Separate groups of subjects learned one version of the task under either distributed (25 s inter-trial intervals) or massed (0.5 s inter-trial intervals) practice conditions. Both massed and distributed retention trials were performed on the same version of the task according to a double transfer design. The results confirmed the apparent disparity: Acquisition and retention were facilitated by distributed practice on the continuous task, but by massed practice on the discrete task. These results were discussed in terms of the role of the inter-trial interval in discrete and continuous tasks.