The Variability of Practice Hypothesis: Further Tests and Methodological Discussion

Abstract

In the present study experimental subjects practiced variations in movement distance and/or movement time during training trials on a closed timing task. Control subjects trained with single distance-time combinations. During transfer trials all subjects attempted (without knowledge of results) a distance-time combination that was different (except in the case of one control condition) from any performed during training. The results revealed that the timing accuracy of the two experimental conditions that practiced a variety of times was significantly poorer than that of most of the other conditions during the training phase. However, transfer analyses revealed several significant differences between the performance of variable-trained and constant-trained conditions, in all cases favoring the former. It was concluded that the transfer benefits of variable practice are (a) not due to the particular movement component selected for variation during training, and (b) to some extent always determined by the similarity of training and transfer conditions experienced by constant-practice subjects.