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The Effects of Virtual Reality Nonphysical Mental Training on Coordination and Skill Transfer in Healthy Adults. J Sport Rehabil 2022; 31:442-451. [PMID: 35078153 DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2021-0198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Mental training is a promising method to improve motor skills. However, transfer of these improvements to different skills or functional activities is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mental balance training programs on motor coordination and skill transfer. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. METHODS Fifty-seven healthy adults (28 females and 29 males) aged between 18 and 25 years participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 groups: virtual reality (VR) mental training group, conventional mental training group, and control group. The training program included action observation and motor imagery practice with balance exercise videos. The VR mental training group trained with a VR head-mounted display and the conventional mental training group trained with a nonimmersive computer monitor for 30 minutes, 3 days per week, for 4 weeks. Coordination skills were tested with 2 separate custom-made obstacle course tests (OCT-1 and OCT-2). OCT tests included crouching, turning, leaning, stepping over, changing direction, walking on various surfaces, or using repeated hand and arm movement tasks. OCT-1 was used to investigate the effects of mental exercises on coordination skills, and OCT-2 to investigate transfer effects for novel tasks. Test time (total and corrected) and error types (minor, major, and total) were recorded. Touching an obstacle without changing its position was classified as a minor error, and changing its position was a major error. RESULTS OCT-1 test time and number of errors significantly decreased in the VR mental training and conventional mental training groups, but not in the control group. The number of minor errors was only decreased in the VR mental training group. For OCT-2, total and corrected time were not significantly different between the groups. However, both training groups were significantly superior to the control group for all types of errors. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that both training interventions can significantly improve coordination and skill transfer test results. In addition, VR mental training may have some advantages over conventional mental training. These findings are promising for the use of mental training for prevention and rehabilitation in special populations.
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Crone CL, Rigoli LM, Patil G, Pini S, Sutton J, Kallen RW, Richardson MJ. Synchronous vs. non-synchronous imitation: Using dance to explore interpersonal coordination during observational learning. Hum Mov Sci 2021; 76:102776. [PMID: 33639354 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Observational learning can enhance the acquisition and performance quality of complex motor skills. While an extensive body of research has focused on the benefits of synchronous (i.e., concurrent physical practice) and non-synchronous (i.e., delayed physical practice) observational learning strategies, the question remains as to whether these approaches differentially influence performance outcomes. Accordingly, we investigate the differential outcomes of synchronous and non-synchronous observational training contexts using a novel dance sequence. Using multidimensional cross-recurrence quantification analysis, movement time-series were recorded for novice dancers who either synchronised with (n = 22) or observed and then imitated (n = 20) an expert dancer. Participants performed a 16-count choreographed dance sequence for 20 trials assisted by the expert, followed by one final, unassisted performance trial. Although end-state performance did not significantly differ between synchronous and non-synchronous learners, a significant decline in performance quality from imitation to independent replication was shown for synchronous learners. A non-significant positive trend in performance accuracy was shown for non-synchronous learners. For all participants, better imitative performance across training trials led to better end-state performance, but only for the accuracy (and not timing) of movement reproduction. Collectively, the results suggest that synchronous learners came to rely on a real-time mapping process between visual input from the expert and their own visual and proprioceptive intrinsic feedback, to the detriment of learning. Thus, the act of synchronising alone does not ensure an appropriate training context for advanced sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Crone
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Lillian M Rigoli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gaurav Patil
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah Pini
- Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John Sutton
- Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachel W Kallen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael J Richardson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise, and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Buchanan JJ, Park I, Chen J, Mehta RK, McCulloch A, Rhee J, Wright DL. Expert monitoring and verbal feedback as sources of performance pressure. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2018; 186:39-46. [PMID: 29698846 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of monitoring-pressure and verbal feedback on the performance of the intrinsically stable bimanual coordination patterns of in-phase and anti-phase was examined. The two bimanual patterns were produced under three conditions: 1) no-monitoring, 2) monitoring-pressure (viewed by experts), and 3) monitoring-pressure (viewed by experts) combined with verbal feedback emphasizing poor performance. The bimanual patterns were produced at self-paced movement frequencies. Anti-phase coordination was always less stable than in-phase coordination across all three conditions. When performed under conditions 2 and 3, both bimanual patterns were performed with less variability in relative phase across a wide range of self-paced movement frequencies compared to the no-monitoring condition. Thus, monitoring-pressure resulted in performance stabilization rather than degradation and the presence of verbal feedback had no impact on the influence of monitoring pressure. The current findings are inconsistent with the predictions of explicit monitoring theory; however, the findings are consistent with studies that have revealed increased stability for the system's intrinsic dynamics as a result of attentional focus and intentional control. The results are discussed within the contexts of the dynamic pattern theory of coordination, explicit monitoring theory, and action-focused theories as explanations for choking under pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J Buchanan
- Texas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Perception-Action Dynamics Lab, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 78423, USA.
| | - Inchon Park
- Texas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Perception-Action Dynamics Lab, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 78423, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- Texas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Perception-Action Dynamics Lab, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 78423, USA
| | - Ranjana K Mehta
- Texas A&M Health Science Center, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, NeuroErgonomics Lab, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Austin McCulloch
- Texas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Perception-Action Dynamics Lab, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 78423, USA
| | - Joohyun Rhee
- Texas A&M Health Science Center, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, NeuroErgonomics Lab, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - David L Wright
- Texas A&M University, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Perception-Action Dynamics Lab, 4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 78423, USA
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