Self-controlled learning: the importance of protecting perceptions of competence

OPTIMAL theory's claims about motivation lack evidence in the motor learning literature

Motivation is commonly recognized by researchers and practitioners as a key factor for motor learning. The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016) claims that practice conditions that enhance learners' expectancies for future successful outcomes or that are autonomy supportive are motivating, thus leading to better learning. To examine the current evidence of the association between motivation and motor learning, we searched the literature for studies that manipulated expectancies and/or autonomy support. Specifically, our goals were to assess whether these manipulations resulted in group differences in motivation and, if so, whether increased motivation was associated with learning advantages. Results showed that out of 166 experiments, only 21% (n = 35) included at least one measure of motivation, even though this is the main factor proposed by OPTIMAL theory to explain the learning benefits of these manipulations. Among those, only 23% (n = 8) found group-level effects on motivation, suggesting that these manipulations might not be as motivating as expected. Of the eight experiments that found a group-level effect on motivation, five also observed learning benefits, offering limited evidence that when practice conditions increase motivation, learning is more likely to occur. Overall, the small number of studies assessing motivation precludes any reliable conclusions on the association between motivation and motor learning from being drawn. Together, our results question whether manipulations implemented in the research lines supporting OPTIMAL theory are indeed motivating and highlight the lack of sufficient evidence in these literatures to support that increased motivation benefits motor learning.

Important findings of a technology-assisted in-home music-based intervention for individuals with stroke: a small feasibility study

PURPOSE

To examine the feasibility of stroke survivors receiving music-based rehabilitation via a mobile app.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited ten chronic stroke survivors who were community-dwelling with mild-moderate upper extremity (UE) paresis. Participants were encouraged to exercise their paretic UE with a commercial instrument training app, Yousician, with a piano keyboard at home for three weeks. The feasibility of the training was measured by: (a) the acceptance of using the app to receive in-home piano training (e.g., daily usage time, exit interview) and (b) the effects of the app functionality as a rehabilitation tool (e.g., participants' motor improvements after training).

RESULTS

Our small sample size of participants demonstrated general positive feedback and self-motivation (e.g., interest in extended training time) about using a mobile app to receive in-home, music-based UE training. Participants showed no trend of declined usage and practiced on average ∼33 min per day for 4-5 days per week during the 3-week participation. We also observed positive results in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, Action Research Arm Test, and Nine Hole Peg Test after training.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided insight into the feasibility of delivering music-based interventions through mobile health (mHealth) technology for stroke populations. Although this was a small sample size, participants' positive and negative comments and feedback provided useful information for future rehab app development. We suggest four ways to further improve and design a patient-oriented app to facilitate the use of a mHealth app to deliver in-home music-based interventions for stroke survivors.

Self-Controlled Feedback in Motor Learning: The Effects Depend on the Frequency of Request

The benefits of allowing learners to control when to receive knowledge of results (KR) compared to a yoked group has been recently challenged and postulated to be mild at best. A potential explanation for such dissident findings is that individuals differentially utilize the autonomy provided by the self-controlled condition, which, in its turn, affects the outcomes. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of self-controlled KR on motor learning focusing on the frequency of KR requests when performing an anticipatory timing task. Self-controlled groups were created based on participants' KR frequency of request (High, Medium, and Low referring to fifth, third, and first quintile) and, then, Yoked groups were created self-control condition pairing the KR request of the Self-controlled groups. We also measured self-efficacy and processing time as means to verify potential correlates. The results supported the expected interaction. While no difference between self-controlled and yoked groups were found for low frequencies of KR, a moderate amount of KR request was related to better results for the self-controlled group. Nonetheless, the opposite trend was observed for high frequencies of KR; the yoked group was superior to the self-controlled group. The results of this study allow us to conclude that the choices made, and not just the possibility of choosing, seem to define the benefits of KR self-control in motor learning.

Either Autonomy Support or Enhanced Expectancies Delivered Via Virtual-Reality Benefits Frontal-Plane Single-Leg Squatting Kinematics

Our purpose in this study was to determine the effects of a virtual reality intervention delivering specific motivational motor learning manipulations of either autonomy support (AS) or enhanced expectancies (EE) on frontal plane single-leg squatting kinematics. We allocated 45 participants (21 male, 24 female) demonstrating knee, hip, and trunk frontal plane mechanics associated with elevated anterior cruciate ligament injury risk to one of three groups (control, AS, or EE). Participants mimicked an avatar performing five sets of eight repetitions of exemplary single-leg squats. AS participants were given the added option of choosing the color of their avatar. EE participants received real-time biofeedback in the form of green highlights on the avatar that remained on as long as the participant maintained pre-determined 'safe' frontal plane mechanics. We measured peak frontal plane knee, hip, and trunk angles before (baseline) and immediately following (post) the intervention. The control group demonstrated greater increases in knee abduction angle (Δ = +2.3°) than did the AS (Δ = +0.1°) and EE groups (Δ = -0.4°) (p = .003; η2p = .28). All groups demonstrated increased peak hip adduction (p = .01, ηp2 = .18) (control Δ = +1.5°; AS Δ = +3.2°; EE Δ = +0.7°). Hip adduction worsened in all groups. AS and EE motivation strategies appeared to mitigate maladaptive frontal plane knee mechanics.

Self-Controlled Video Feedback Facilitates the Learning of Tactical Skills in Tennis

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of self-controlled video feedback on the learning of tactical motor skills in tennis, and additionally, whether this was affected by learners' self-efficacy and self-regulative skills. Method: Twenty-three intermediately skilled tennis players were assigned to either a self-controlled group that was provided video feedback on request or a yoked group that received an identical, externally controlled video feedback schedule. In three training sessions participants practiced serve and volley play. Video feedback with attentional cueing and transitional statements that focused solely on individual tactical gameplay was provided by a licensed tennis coach. Individual tactical performance was measured with a custom designed Tactical Tennis Tool (TTT) in a pretest, posttest and in a one-week retention test. Before each test self-efficacy was measured, and a questionnaire was administered to measure self-regulative skills. Results: Analyses revealed significantly larger improvements in tactical performance relative to the pretest for the self-controlled group than for the yoked group in both the posttest and the one-week retention test. No differences were found in self-efficacy. Finally, the improvements in tactical performance were not predicted by self-efficacy and/or self-regulative skills. Conclusion: The advantage of self-controlled video feedback extends to the learning of a complex tactical task in tennis. Future research should verify the observed benefits of a self-controlled learning environment in comparison to a coach-controlled learning environment.

The effect of a visual illusion and self-controlled practice on motor learning in children at risk for developmental coordination disorder

Numerous efforts have been made to test the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning in healthy children and adult populations. However, only a small number of studies have tested this theory in children with cognitive-motor disorders, such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The present study aims to examine the individual and additive effects of a visual illusion and self-controlled practice on a golf putting task in children at risk for DCD based on the OPTIMAL theory. Forty children at risk for DCD (mean age = 8.57 ± 1.05 years) were randomly assigned to four experimental groups (1-small visual illusion + self-controlled practice; 2-big visual illusion + self-controlled practice; 3-small visual illusion + yoked; 4-big visual illusion + yoked). Following 12 pretest trials of a golf putting task, the participants completed 5 blocks of 12 trials of practice on the first day. A retention test (12 trials) and a transfer dual-task test (12 trials) were conducted on the second day. The results indicated that in retention test the big visual illusion + self-controlled practice group was significantly better than the small visual illusion + yoked group (p = 0.01), while there was not any other significant difference between groups at retention test as well as between all groups at practice phase and transfer test (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). In other words, an additive effect has been observed just in the retention test but not the practice phase as well as transfer test. In general, the results of this study support the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning in children at risk for DCD and suggests to all educators who work with these children to use the combination of the visual illusion with self-controlled practice to improve the motor learning of children at risk for DCD.

Self-efficacy assessment hinders improvement on a deliberate cricket bowling practice task

Introduction

Previous research indicates that external focused attention is linked to superior performance on motor tasks. This study examined how attention directed toward one's self-efficacy affected performance in a cricket bowling task.

Methods

In the pre-test phase, participants attempted to bowl in a designated "good length" zone across 12 trials. Following this, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, where they rated their own general and task-specific self-efficacy, or a control group, where they rated someone else's ability. They each then bowled 12 more trials. Their performance was measured based on the number of trials that were bowled within the standard "good length" zone.

Results

Paired t-tests showed that while the performance of the control group improved significantly from pre-test to post-test, t = 2.613, p = 0.008; the experimental group did not show a significant improvement, t = 1.156, p = 0.131.

Discussion

Results indicate that asking people to rate their self-efficacy level may reduce their improvement on a deliberate practice task. Implications for sport performance and researchers are discussed.

Improving dynamic balance by self-controlled feedback in children with cerebral palsy

AIMS

Maintaining balance is an important topic for participation of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in their own activities. Purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of self-controlled and yoked-group feedback on dynamic balance of children with Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (SHCP).

METHODS

Using Convenience Sampling Method, twenty students with Cerebral Palsy, aged 8-10 years old, were selected from special schools and divided into the Self-Controlled (SC) and Yoked feedback groups. Children in SC group requested feedback when necessary during the acquisition phase; in contrast, participants in yoked group replicated the feedback schedule of their counterparts in SC group without any choice. Modified Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) was used for both dynamic balance intervention and assessment. To analyze the data, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) Tests were performed at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Based on MANCOVA test results, a significant difference were found between SC and Yoked groups after controlling for pretest at least in one balance variables (anterior, posterolateral, and posteromedial). Results of ANCOVA test showed a significant difference between the balance variables in the anterior, Posterolateral, and posteromedial directions in children with cerebral palsy.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of our study support the idea that requested feedback in SC conditions could have more benefits for motor learning since it is adjusted with the needs and preferences of children.

That looks easy! Evidence against the benefits of an easier criterion of success for enhancing motor learning

OPTIMAL theory predicts providing learners with a relatively easier criterion of success during practice enhances motor learning through increased self-efficacy, perceptions of competence, and intrinsic motivation. However, mixed results in the literature suggest this enhancement effect may be moderated by the number of successes achieved by learners practicing with the difficult criterion. To investigate this possibility, we manipulated quantity of practice to affect the absolute number of successes achieved by learners practicing with different success criteria. Eighty participants were divided into four groups and performed 50 or 100 trials of a mini-shuffleboard task. Groups practiced with either a large or a small zone of success surrounding the target. Learning was assessed 24 h after acquisition with retention and transfer tests. In terms of endpoint accuracy and precision, there were no learning or practice performance benefits of practicing with an easier criterion of success, regardless of the number of trials. This absence of a criterion of success effect was despite the efficacy of our manipulation in increasing the number of trials stopping within the zone of success, self-efficacy, perceptions of competence, and, for participants with 100 trials, intrinsic motivation. An equivalence test indicated that the effect of criterion of success was small, if existent. Moreover, at the individual level, intrinsic motivation did not predict posttest or acquisition performance. There were no benefits of easing the criterion of success on pressure, effort, accrual of explicit knowledge, or conscious processing. These data challenge key tenets of OPTIMAL theory and question the efficacy of easing criterion of success for motor learning.

Enhanced expectancies benefit performance under distraction, but compromise it under stress: Exploring the OPTIMAL theory

Motor learning can benefit from practice under enhanced expectancies; that is, the belief one can generate an intended positive outcome. According to the OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory, this benefit manifests from a greater coupling between action and its external consequences, which potentially coincides with a more automatic mode of control. The aim of the study was to examine this possibility, and in so doing, understand more about the psycho-motor processes underpinning the influence of expectancies. On Day 1, novice participants practiced a dart-throwing task under enhanced (EE) (n = 11), reduced (RE) (n = 12) or no (control; CTL) (n = 12) expectancies. Enhanced and reduced expectancies were indirectly manipulated by positively reinforcing shots that landed within the large or small circle on the dartboard, respectively. On Day 2, participants transferred to a dual-task (i.e., tone-counting) or stress (i.e., social-comparative threat, false feedback) setting. While there was no evidence of improvement across practice, RE was significantly worse than CTL for the dual-task, but EE was significantly worse than RE and CTL under stress (ps < 0.05). Therefore, the ability of EE to retain performance within the dual-task, but decline under stress, suggests a more automatic mode of control was adopted. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Effects of positive social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning and performance expectancies

Introduction

Positive social comparative feedback indicates to the learner that they are performing better than others. While this type feedback supports motor skill learning in some tasks, the effect of social comparative feedback on implicit motor sequence learning remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of positive social comparative feedback on the learning of and expectancies for a motor sequence task.

Methods

Forty-eight individuals practiced a joystick-based sequence task and were divided into three feedback groups: CONTROL (no performance feedback), RT ONLY (response time only feedback), and RT+POS (response time plus positive social comparison). Participants attended sessions on two consecutive days: Day 1 for repetitive motor practice/skill acquisition and Day 2 for retention testing. Performance related expectancies, like perceived competence, were measured before and after motor practice on Day 1 and at retention on Day 2.

Results

While all groups improved with practice, the CONTROL group showed better overall performance/learning (faster response times) compared with the RT ONLY group. Despite similar response times, the RT+POS showed higher peak velocities than the RT ONLY group. Overall, the RT+POS and CONTROL demonstrated increases in perceived competence while the RT ONLY group did not.

Discussion

The results of this study suggest that feedback content is an important consideration during motor practice sessions since feedback without context (RT ONLY) may be detrimental to motor sequence learning. The results also suggest that, if providing performance related feedback during practice of a skill that relies on implicit sequence learning processes, comparative context may be necessary for enhancing expectancies and supporting.

Gender Stereotype Threat Undermines Dance Performance and Learning in Boys

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of gender stereotype on the performance and learning of a classical ballet pirouette in 11-year-old boys. Participants in the stereotype threat (ST) group were informed that, in general, boys tend to show worse results when completing the pirouette task in comparison to girls. Participants in the stereotype lift (SL) group were told that girls tend to show worse results in comparison to boys. The control group did not receive stereotype instructions. The results demonstrated worse performance during practice and retention (next day) for the ST group relative to the SL and control groups; the SL and control groups did not differ. The findings indicate that gender stereotype threat can undermine motor performance and learning in boys.

Neither Too Easy Nor Too Difficult: Effects of Different Success Criteria on Motor Skill Acquisition in Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different success criteria on motor learning in children. Forty-eight children threw soft-golf balls toward a circular target using their nondominant arm. On Day 1, they performed six blocks of 12 trials from 5.5 m. On Day 3, they performed a 12-trial retention test followed by a 12-trial transfer test. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: difficult criteria for success, relatively easy criteria for success (RES), easy criteria for success, and control. Results demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the RES and control groups in their throwing accuracy on the retention and transfer tests, and the RES group had the highest score compared with the other two groups. This research suggests that providing relatively easy criteria facilitates motor skill acquisition in children.

Cooperation enhances motor learning

Relatedness represents the need to experience satisfaction from interpersonal acceptance and closeness with others and is considered a basic psychological human need. Studies testing the effects of supporting the learners' need for relatedness in motor learning (e.g., Gonzalez & Chiviacowsky, 2018) have manipulated relatedness basically by instructions from the experimenter and using practice and learning at an individual level. A different form of supporting the need for relatedness is through cooperative learning. In different domains, contexts involving cooperative effort strategies and goals were observed to result in greater positive interpersonal relationship and higher goal achievement in relation to individual efforts or competitive conditions. In this experiment, the effects of practice structured in cooperative or competitive ways on the learning of hitting a ball with a racket toward a target was tested. Adolescents practiced in pairs and were assigned to three experimental groups. In the cooperation group, the participants practiced in a cooperative condition while in the competitive group, the participants practiced in a competitive condition. Participants in a control group also practiced in the presence of another participant but were not induced at cooperative or competitive conditions. In the next day all groups performed retention and transfer tests. Questionnaires measured the participants' motivational and affective levels. The results show that cooperation increases intrinsic motivation, positive affect, self-efficacy, and task learning relative to individual efforts or competitive practice. Competition decreases perceived relatedness. The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing the importance of social relatedness for motor performance and learning. They also indicate a positive influential role of cooperation in motor learning.

Different Patterns of Neural Activity Characterize Motor Skill Performance During Acquisition and Retention

Motor performance and learning have distinct behavioral and neural signatures and can be uniquely modulated by various informational and motivational factors. Contemporary frameworks describe four different motor learning mechanisms mapped onto specific neural regions which are key for motor skill acquisition: error-based learning (cerebellum), reinforcement learning (basal ganglia), cognitive strategies (prefrontal cortex), and use-dependent learning (motor cortex). However, little is known about the neural circuits engaged during skill acquisition that are modulated specifically by practice-based performance improvement and those that predict recall performance. Based on previous work, we hypothesize that brain activity during practice in primary motor cortex and basal ganglia (1) is associated with trial-by-trial practice performance and (2) is predictive of immediate recall performance. Leveraging the contemporary framework, we use a well-known task paradigm that primarily relies upon cognitive strategy, reinforcement, and use-based learning mechanisms to test our hypotheses. Forty neurotypical young adults were asked to practice a pinch force tracking task. Participants received performance feedback after each trial during practice. We used whole brain analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral performance measures (i.e., time-on-target and self-efficacy) during the practice phase to determine which brain activation patterns are (1) associated with trial-by-trial tracking performance and (2) predictive of immediate no-feedback retention performance. We observed brain activations in the frontal orbital cortex, putamen, amygdala, and insula correlated with tracking performance improvement during practice. In contrast, a different set of performance-related activated regions were observed that were associated with immediate retention performance that included the primary motor cortex, superior frontal gyrus, somatosensory cortex, angular gyrus, and parietal gyrus. Our findings demonstrate that improved practice performance and recall of a sensorimotor skill are correlated with distinct neural activity patterns during acquisition, drawing on different motor learning mechanisms during encoding. While motor performance improvements depend on both cortical and subcortical regions, motor skill recall depends primarily on prefrontal and motor cortices. We discuss possible interpretations for why our hypothesis regarding basal ganglia activity and retention performance was not supported. Understanding the different neural mechanisms engaged in motor performance and learning may inform novel interventions to enhance motor skill learning.

Effects of Gender Stereotypes on Balance Performance and Learning in Men

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gender stereotypes on the performance and learning of a balance task in men. Before practice, forty-eight participants received instructions involving the comparison of balance between males and females: males normally perform worse than females (stereotype threat condition - ST), females usually perform worse than males (stereotype lift condition - SL), or no instructions regarding gender stereotypes (control condition). One day later, they performed a retention test. The results show that the SL group outperformed the other groups during practice, but not retention. ST participants reported lower perceived competence. The findings show that gender stereotypes can affect perceptions of competence and balance performance, but not balance learning, in men.

The recommendation for learners to be provided with control over their feedback schedule is questioned in a self-controlled learning paradigm

Evidence that self-controlled feedback schedules are more effective for motor learning than yoked or predetermined schedules has been used to forward the recommendation that practitioners should provide choice to learners over when they would like to receive feedback. This recommendation can be questioned because the typical comparison groups in such experimentation do not well represent the applied setting. Consequently, comparison groups that better map onto the applied setting are needed. To this end, three groups learned a golf putting task: (1) self-controlled, (2) traditional-yoked, and (3) a group who were led to believe their KR schedule was being controlled by a golf coach. Participants (N = 60) completed a pre-test, acquisition phase, and delayed post-tests (retention/transfer). No group differences during the post-tests for mean radial error, F(2, 54) = 2.71, p = .075, or bivariate variable error, F(2, 56) = 0.11, p = .896, were found. Thus, the typical self-controlled learning advantage was not observed. Given the failure to replicate self-controlled benefits, combined with the fact there is little research that has directly compared self-controlled feedback schedules to coach-controlled schedules, we argue more evidence is needed before advocating that learners be provided choice over their feedback schedule.

Repetitive training of contralateral limb through reconsolidation strengthens motor skills

Consolidated memories become transiently labile after memory reactivation, allowing update through reconsolidation. Although previous reports have indicated that the effects of post-reactivation training depend on the type of practice, it is unclear whether post-reactivation motor skill training of one limb can enhance the performance of the opposite limb. The present study aimed to investigate whether post-reactivation training (performing an isometric pinch force task) under two different training conditions using the left limb would enhance motor skills of the right limb through reconsolidation. Motor skills were measured in 38 healthy right-handed young adults during three sessions (S): S1 (right-hand training), S2 (memory reactivation and left-hand training 6 h after S1), and S3 (right-hand motor skill test 24 h after S1). Participants were assigned to one of three groups according to the task performed during S2: untrained controls (no training), left-hand training (constant force conditions), or left-hand training (variable force conditions). Left-hand training after memory reactivation during S2 significantly enhanced the motor skills of the right hand. Notably, constant training conditions significantly increased performance compared to the control group. These findings suggest that post-reactivation training in one limb effectively enhances motor skills in the opposite limb, and the effects depend on the training strategy, which has important implications for motor rehabilitation.

Relatedness support enhances motivation, positive affect, and motor learning in adolescents

Social relatedness is a basic psychological need to experience satisfaction of interpersonal acceptance and closeness with others. In this experiment, the effects of social relatedness on the learning of a task (hitting a ball with a racket toward a target) were tested in adolescents. Participants were assigned to three experimental groups. After a pre-test and before practice, participants in the relatedness support (RS) condition received instructions emphasizing recognition, importance, and interest in the participant's experience. Participants in the relatedness frustration (RF) condition received instructions emphasizing disinterest in the participant as a person. Control participants did not receive specific relatedness instructions. One day later, they performed retention and transfer tests. Questionnaires measured participants' motivational and affective levels. The results showed that supporting the relatedness need enhances task learning in adolescents. Motivation and affective levels were also affected. The findings are the first to show that social relatedness affects adolescent's motor performance and learning and reveal underlying mechanisms implicated in such effects.

Performance, Health, and Psychological Challenges Faced by Students of Physical Education in Online Learning during COVID-19 Epidemic: A Qualitative Study in China

The spread of COVID-19 has led students to take classes online (rather than face-to-face) worldwide, including in China. For this study, we conducted qualitative focus group discussions to identify the experience of and difficulties faced by online physical education students in higher education taking online classes, including the impact on their physical activity performance, as well as some health problems they face while taking online classes during the quarantine period, such as weight gain, depression, and anxiety. Finally, utilizing Mayer's learning model as a conceptual framework, we propose a method that addresses how to effectively manage an optimal future learning system for physical education students, both during and after the COVID-19 outbreak situation. During the isolation period of COVID-19, the required equipment for the participants was rarely available at home while attending the online classes, which inevitably reduced the number of physical education units that could be conveyed. This resulted in a transfer of attention from competition to underperformance, weight gain, and adverse psychological conditions. We conclude that it is important to review and systematize the methods of online physical education learning, particularly highlighting the cultural and educational characteristics of different countries, and to investigate the effectiveness of online physical education as a whole.

Mental Fatigue Reduces the Benefits of Self-Controlled Feedback on Learning a Force Production Task

This study investigated the impact of mental fatigue and self-controlled versus yoked feedback on learning a force production task. We randomly assigned 44 non-athlete male students (Mage = 21.4, SD = 1.4 years) to four groups; (a) MF&SCF = mental fatigue & self-controlled feedback, (b) MF&Y = mental fatigue & yoked, (c) NMF&SCF = no mental fatigue & self-controlled feedback, and (d) NMF&Y = no mental fatigue & yoked). SCF group participants were provided feedback whenever they requested it, while YK group participants received feedback according to a schedule created by their SCF counterparts. To induce mental fatigue, participants performed a Stroop color-word task for one hour. During the acquisition (practice) phase, participants were asked to produce a given percentage of their maximum force (20%) in 12 blocks of six trials. We recorded the participants' absolute error at the end of the acquisition phase, the immediate retention test, the first transfer test, and the second transfer test (after 24 hours and without any further mental fatigue). The acquisition phase data were analyzed in a 2 (feedback) × 2 (mental fatigue) × 12 (block) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last factor, while the retention and transfer data were analyzed in 2 (feedback) × 2 (mental fatigue) ANOVAs. We found that all four groups made significant progress during practice (p < .001), but there were no significant group differences during this phase (p>.05). There was a significant interaction effect of self-controlled feedback and mental fatigue at retention (p = .018) and transfer testing (p < .001). In the mental fatigue condition, participants in the self-controlled group had poorer learning compared to participants in the yoked group; but when not mentally fatigued, participants in the self-controlled group had better learning than those in the yoked group. These findings suggest that mental fatigue reduces typical advantages of self-controlled feedback in motor learning.

Optimizing Feedback Frequency in Motor Learning: Self-Controlled and Moderate Frequency KR Enhance Skill Acquisition

The purpose of this study was to compare the relative effects of self-controlled knowledge of results (SCKR) to other KR schedules of varying relative frequency (25%, 50%, and 100% of acquisition trials) on motor skill learning. Participants received basic instructions on the soccer overhead throw and then performed 50 acquisition trials, during which KR was provided according to the assigned schedule, followed by a retention test, during which no KR was provided. Retention scores were highest for the SCKR and 50% KR frequency groups who shared comparable absolute KR frequency and distribution relative to successful versus unsuccessful trials. These results indicated that both self-control and moderate frequency feedback enhanced learning, supporting an inverted U-shaped effect of feedback frequency on skill acquisition.

Effects of self-controlled knowledge of performance on motor learning and self-efficacy: A kinematic study

Study aim: To evaluate the effects of providing the learners with self-controlled knowledge of performance (KP) on motor learning and self-efficacy (SE) in a dart-throwing motor task.

Material and methods: The participants were thirty female university students who were divided into two groups including self-control and yoked groups. Participants performed five blocks of five trials in the acquisition phase, and retention and transfer tests of 10 trials one day later. Intra-limb coordination patterns (movement pattern), throwing scores, and SE (both movement pattern and movement outcome) were measured as dependent variables. Independent t test and one-way ANOVA with repeated measures were used as statistical tests.

Results: The self-controlled group performed significantly better than yoked group on movement pattern during the acquisition phase (F1,28 = 24.239, p = 0.001) and the retention test (t28 = –3.074, p = 0.007). However, there were no significant differences between groups in terms of throwing scores and SE during the acquisition, retention, and transfer phases (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Providing self-controlled KP can improve learning of movement pattern in the novices but do not necessary increase movement outcome or SE.

Quantitative EEG in sports: performance level estimation of professional female soccer players

Purpose

Measuring the peak performance of athletes remains a challenge in movement science and sports psychology. Non-invasive quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) recordings can be used to analyze various factors in sports psychology.

Method

In this context, sports-related psychological factors were used to estimate the performance of Thai professional female soccer players before a competition. The QEEG recordings of thirty-two players were recorded three times: twice before a competition (once a week) and a week after a competition. Four factors of sports psychology were estimated and observed: anxiety, perceptual response to an acute bout of brain activity, assertiveness, and brain central fatigue. A brain topographic map (absolute power) and brain connectivity (coherence and amplitude asymmetry) data were used to analyze sports-related psychological factors. These factors were measurable based on the brain activity of the athletes and could be used to evaluate their performance during competitions by using QEEG values.

Results

Sports-related psychological performance was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficients, which revealed that a quick perceptual response to an acute bout of brain activity could predict an athlete's performance during competition (r = .584, p = .000). Additionally, Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to estimate athletes performance. The results revealed a strong relationship ( r s =.634, p = .000), which was derived from the summation of anxiety and perceptual response to an acute bout of brain activity.

Conclusion

Consequently, the results of the present study can provide information to help staff coaches to choose the best performing players, representing an alternative method for accurately selecting key players in the competitive sports community.

Autonomy support and preference-performance dissociation in choice-reaction time tasks

The purpose of the current study was threefold: (a) to examine the effects of participants having the autonomy to choose the practice order of two reaction time (RT) tasks - a choice-RT task and a Simon task - on performance, (b) to examine whether one order of practice is better than the other, and (c) to examine whether participants might choose a practice order that hinders their performance. The study was conducted online and participants completed the tasks on their own computer. Fifty-nine participants were randomly assigned into three groups: (a) autonomy - participants chose which task they would like to practice first, (b) choice-first - participants practiced the choice-RT task first, and (c) Simon-first - participants practiced the Simon task first. Out of these three groups we created an autonomy group (n = 17) and a no-autonomy (yoked) group (n = 17). All participants performed eight familiarization trials of each task, practiced 160 trials (8 blocks × 20 trials) of each task, and performed a post-test of 20 additional trials of each task after a three-minute rest. The main findings were that (a) participants in the autonomy group had faster RTs compared with participants in the no-autonomy group, (b) performing the choice-RT task first led to faster RTs compared with performing the Simon task first, and (c) nine of the 17 participants in the autonomy group chose to practice the Simon task first. The findings of this study suggest that providing participants with autonomy can lead to improved performance. However, there may be a dissociation between participants' preference of practice order and their performance.

Varied speeds of video demonstration do not influence the learning of a dance skill

The effects of slow-motion and real time video speed demonstration, under mixed-modeling conditions (skilled model plus self-observation), were examined to identify whether there was an optimal demonstration speed, or combination thereof, for learning the dance pirouette en dehors skill. Fifty-one participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups with different video demonstration speeds: (1) slow-motion, (2) real-time, or (3) a combination of slow-motion and real-time. Following a pre-test, participants completed eight blocks of nine training trials (comprised of five physical and four observational practice trials). Physical performance and cognitive representation assessments revealed that participants' scores significantly improved for both assessments throughout acquisition (p's < 0.05), as well as from pre- to post-test (p's < 0.001), indicating learning of the skill. There were no significant differences, however, between the three experimental groups. These findings suggest that both real-time and slow-motion video demonstration, or their combined presentation, do not yield differences in motor learning outcomes related to the pirouette en dehors.

Relatively Easy Criteria for Success Enhances Motor Learning by Altering Perceived Competence

The purpose of this study was to examine whether enhancing success expectation by providing relatively easy criteria for success would, in turn, enhance motor learning outcomes. Thirty university student participants threw soft-golf balls towards a circular target, using their non-dominant arm; they performed seven blocks of 12 trials from a distance of 5.5 meters on Day 1, and one block of 12 trials on separate retention and transfer tests on Day 2. After the first block on Day 1, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups in which they practiced the remaining six blocks of 12 trials: (a) one with relatively easy success (RES) criteria or (b) one with difficult success (DS) criteria. After the practice, we administered a perceived competence scale, a sub-scale of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). On Day 2, participants in the RES group outperformed those in the DS group on both the retention and transfer tests, showing enhanced motor learning. The RES group also self-reported higher perceived competence than the DS group, indicating that the mechanism for benefiting from easier success criteria may have been an alteration in participants' perceived competence.

Inducing illusory control ensures persistence when rewards fade and when others outperform us

Persisting even when the rewards of continued effort are fading is essential for achieving long-term goals, skills, and good health, alike. Yet, we often quit when things get hard. Here, we tested whether augmenting the feeling of control through external measures increases persistence under such discouraging circumstances. In two laboratory experiments, we first induced illusory control by manipulating the base-rate of positive outcomes and then tested the effect of this elevation of participants' perceived control upon their persistence under diminishing returns and in a competition against a stronger opponent. Induced illusory control significantly enhanced people's persistence in both of these motivationally challenging situations. Our findings demonstrate that motivation is dependent upon perceived, rather than objective, control, and reveal that this can be leveraged to counteract quitting behavior when things get hard, for instance in rehabilitation, physical activity interventions, or other training settings.

Knowledge of Results do not Affect Self-Efficacy and Skill Acquisition on an Anticipatory Timing Task

The literature provides that self-efficacy increases if individuals receive more information of their success during practice with a consequent increase in learning outcomes. The objective of this study was to test the effects of different knowledge of results (KR) frequencies on self-efficacy and motor learning. Two groups with different KR frequencies performed an anticipatory timing task on two consecutive days. To measure self-efficacy, a questionnaire on participant's efficacy was applied at different times. Both groups increased self-efficacy during practice, but we found no evidence of the effect of performance on self-efficacy and no group and self-efficacy effect on retention. These findings demonstrate that different KR frequencies do not affect the self-efficacy and learning of an anticipatory timing task.

Cognitive Loading During and After Continuous Task Execution Alters the Effects of Self-Controlled Knowledge of Results

Previous research has repeatedly demonstrated that providing learners with self-control (SC) over their feedback schedules enhances motor skill learning. Increased information processing under SC conditions has been shown to contribute to these benefits. However, the timing of critical information processing for SC participants during the acquisition of continuous tasks is unknown. The present study was designed to enhance clarity related to this issue. Participants learned a continuous tracing task under SC or yoked (YK) conditions. Groups of participants also completed a secondary cognitive load task either during or after the execution of each primary task trial. Results showed enhanced learning for SC compared to YK participants who did not complete the cognitive load task. However, this benefit was eliminated for SC participants who completed the cognitive load task either during or after the primary task. These findings suggest that effective information processing both during and after continuous task execution is critical for reaping the benefits of self-controlled practice. Further interpretations and implications of these findings as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.

Enhancing task-demands disrupts learning but enhances transfer gains in short-term task-switching training

Content variability was previously suggested to promote stronger learning effects in cognitive training whereas less variability incurred transfer costs (Sabah et al. Psychological Research, 10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7, 2018). Here, we expanded these findings by additionally examining the role of learners’ control in short-term task-switching training by comparing voluntary task-switching to a yoked control forced task-switching condition. To this end, four training conditions were compared: (1) forced fixed content, (2) voluntary fixed content, (3) forced varied content, and (3) voluntary varied content. To further enhance task demands, bivalent stimuli were used during training. Participants completed baseline assessment commencing with task-switching and verbal fluency blocks, followed by seven training blocks and last by task-switching (near transfer) and verbal fluency (far transfer) blocks, respectively. For the baseline and transfer task-switching blocks, we used the exact same baseline and first transfer block from Sabah et al. (Psychological Research, 10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7, 2018), employing univalent stimuli and alternating-runs task sequence. Our results pointed again to the contribution of content variability to task-switching performance. No indications for far transfer were observed. Allowing for learners’ control was not found to produce additional transfer gains beyond content variability. A between-study comparison suggests that enhanced task demands, by means of bivalency, promoted higher transfer gains in the current study when compared to Sabah et al. (Psychological Research, 10.1007/s00426-018-1006-7, 2018). Taken together, the current results provide further evidence to the beneficial impact of variability on training outcomes. The lack of modulatory effect for learners’ control is discussed in relation to possible methodological limitations.

Principles of Motor Learning to Support Neuroplasticity After ACL Injury: Implications for Optimizing Performance and Reducing Risk of Second ACL Injury

Athletes who wish to resume high-level activities after an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are often advised to undergo surgical reconstruction. Nevertheless, ACL reconstruction (ACLR) does not equate to normal function of the knee or reduced risk of subsequent injuries. In fact, recent evidence has shown that only around half of post-ACLR patients can expect to return to competitive level of sports. A rising concern is the high rate of second ACL injuries, particularly in young athletes, with up to 20% of those returning to sport in the first year from surgery experiencing a second ACL rupture. Aside from the increased risk of second injury, patients after ACLR have an increased risk of developing early onset of osteoarthritis. Given the recent findings, it is imperative that rehabilitation after ACLR is scrutinized so the second injury preventative strategies can be optimized. Unfortunately, current ACLR rehabilitation programs may not be optimally effective in addressing deficits related to the initial injury and the subsequent surgical intervention. Motor learning to (re-)acquire motor skills and neuroplastic capacities are not sufficiently incorporated during traditional rehabilitation, attesting to the high re-injury rates. The purpose of this article is to present novel clinically integrated motor learning principles to support neuroplasticity that can improve patient functional performance and reduce the risk of second ACL injury. The following key concepts to enhance rehabilitation and prepare the patient for re-integration to sports after an ACL injury that is as safe as possible are presented: (1) external focus of attention, (2) implicit learning, (3) differential learning, (4) self-controlled learning and contextual interference. The novel motor learning principles presented in this manuscript may optimize future rehabilitation programs to reduce second ACL injury risk and early development of osteoarthritis by targeting changes in neural networks.

Expectancy and affective response to challenging balance practice conditions in individuals with Parkinson's disease

Psychological states can influence motor performance and learning. In Parkinson's disease (PD), placebo effects or expectancies for pharmacological treatment benefits are not uncommon, but little is known about whether self-efficacy, beliefs about personal performance capabilities, may play a role in this population. To address this question, we investigated whether experimental manipulations designed to enhance self-efficacy would benefit motor performance and learning in PD. A motor learning paradigm was utilized to determine the short-term (i.e., practice) and longer-term (i.e., retention) impact of self-efficacy enhancement when 44 individuals with PD (Hoehn and Yahr stage I-III) acquired a challenging balance skill. Using stratified randomization by Hoehn and Yahr stage, participants were assigned to a control group or one of two investigational groups: (a) an expectancy-relevant statement that encouraged an incremental mindset in which the balance skill, though initially challenging, was acquirable with practice (incremental theory group, IT), and (b) the expectancy-relevant statement in combination with a criterion for successful performance (incremental theory plus success criteria group, IT + SC). All groups improved their balance performance, but contrary to expectations, investigational groups did not outperform the control group at practice or retention. Unexpectedly, the IT + SC group reported greater nervousness than the control and IT groups, suggesting that the employed success criteria may have induced performance-related anxiety. Regression analyses revealed that self-efficacy increase from initial practice predicted performance at the end of practice and at retention. These findings highlight the potential contribution of psychological factors on motor function and rehabilitation in individuals with PD.

Effects of external focus of attention on learning static balance among girls with ADHD

Study aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of adopting an external focus of attention on motor learning among girls with ADHD aged seven and eleven years.

Material and methods: Twenty-four seven-year-old and 24 eleven-year-old female children with symptoms of ADHD were randomly assigned to groups receiving either external focus of attention (EXT) instructions or internal focus of attention (INT) instructions, making four experimental groups: EXT-7, INT-7, EXT-11, and INT-11. Participants performed a pretest followed by five training blocks under an external or internal instruction and were then given a retention test one day later. After training, we employed a manipulation check to verify the children’s type and intensity of focus.

Results: Adopting an external focus of attention, compared to an internal focus of attention, led to better motor learning among girls with ADHD (F 1, 44 = 5.08, p = 0.029, η2 = 0.10). In addition, adopting an external focus of attention reduced the children’s tendency to focus on self. Older children performed better than younger children in balance time (F 1, 44 = 16.10, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.26).

Conclusions: Our results indicate that propositions of the OPTIMAL theory can be extended to children with ADHD.

Motor Performance, Mental Workload and Self-Efficacy Dynamics during Learning of Reaching Movements throughout Multiple Practice Sessions

The human capability to learn new motor skills depends on the efficient engagement of cognitive-motor resources, as reflected by mental workload, and psychological mechanisms (e.g., self-efficacy). While numerous investigations have examined the relationship between motor behavior and mental workload or self-efficacy in a performance context, a fairly limited effort focused on the combined examination of these notions during learning. Thus, this study aimed to examine their concomitant dynamics during the learning of a novel reaching skill practiced throughout multiple sessions. Individuals had to learn to control a virtual robotic arm via a human-machine interface by using limited head motion throughout eight practice sessions while motor performance, mental workload, and self-efficacy were assessed. The results revealed that as individuals learned to control the robotic arm, performance improved at the fastest rate, followed by a more gradual reduction of mental workload and finally an increase in self-efficacy. These results suggest that once the performance improved, less cognitive-motor resources were recruited, leading to an attenuated mental workload. Considering that attention is a primary cognitive resource driving mental workload, it is suggested that during early learning, attentional resources are primarily allocated to address task demands and not enough are available to assess self-efficacy. However, as the performance becomes more automatic, a lower level of mental workload is attained driven by decreased recruitment of attentional resources. These available resources allow for a reliable assessment of self-efficacy resulting in a subsequent observable change. These results are also discussed in terms of the application to the training and design of assistive technologies.

The effects of external and internal focus of attention on motor learning and promoting learner’s focus

Study aim: External focus of attention is considered as a critical factor in the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. This theory proposes that external focus of attention facilitates motor performance and learning because it promotes focusing on the task goal. However, the effects of external focus of attention on focusing on the task goal are not well understood. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the effects of an external focus of attention versus an internal focus of attention on motor learning and promoting focus of the learner on the task goal.

Material and methods: Thirty-six right-handed male students (mean age 21.16 ± 1.85 years old) with no prior experiences with the motor task were randomly assigned to three groups: external focus, internal focus, and control groups. Participants were asked to throw darts at a target during an acquisition phase (10 blocks of six trials each) and during subsequent retention and transfer tests. Throwing accuracy and focus on the task goal were measured as dependent variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures as well as a one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences in accuracy scores between groups during the acquisition phase as well as retention and transfer tests, respectively. The significance level was set at p < .05. The author supervised all phases of the experiment.

Results: The results showed that adopting an external focus promoted a focus on the task goal and resulted in significantly better motor learning than adopting an internal focus and control conditions (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The findings of the present study provided support for the propositions of the OPTIMAL theory and showed that adopting an external focus of attention promotes focus of the learner on the task goal. The results are discussed in terms of benefits of external focus instructions for facilitating motor learning and goal-action coupling.

Partnered, adapted argentine tango dance for cancer survivors: A feasibility study and pilot study of efficacy

BACKGROUND

Neurotoxic cancer treatments can cause chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and postural control deficits that cancer survivors report as a concern. Exercise-based sensorimotor training has emerged as a promising treatment for symptoms including balance deficits, however, more study is needed to optimize engagement and participation. We evaluated feasibility, satisfaction, and preliminary efficacy of a novel balance training program for cancer survivors: partnered, Adapted Argentine Tango dance (Tango).

METHODS

Twenty-two individuals participated (n = 22). Tango classes (1 h) were offered twice/week. At baseline, midpoint (8 classes), and conclusion of the training (15 or 16 classes), we assessed postural control by measuring center-of-pressure (CoP) measures during quiet standing with eyes closed. We also documented attendance, barriers to attendance, and satisfaction (7 point scale; 1 high). At conclusion, we analyzed whether 1) attendance and satisfaction met feasibility criteria; 2) postural control improved among participants who were outside of normal range at baseline; and 3) co-enrolling with a companion increased attendance.

FINDINGS

Feasibility criteria were met: more than half of participants attended more than half the classes offered with a mean satisfaction rate of 1.2 (SD 0.4). Those who enrolled with a companion (n = 9) attended more sessions than those who did not (n = 13) (Mann-Whitney U value = 20; p = 0.012). Participants with demonstrated deficits (n = 9) improved in 3 CoP measures at midpoint (i.e., medial-lateral sway, ellipse area, medial-lateral velocity), retaining improvement in 2 CoP measures at endpoint (i.e., medial-lateral sway, ellipse area).

INTERPRETATION

Partnered, Adapted Argentine Tango is feasible for cancer survivors and may improve postural control. Enrolling with a companion improved attendance.

Increased cognitive load during acquisition of a continuous task eliminates the learning effects of self-controlled knowledge of results

Previous research has demonstrated that providing learners with self-control over some aspect of practice enhances motor learning (for a review see Wulf, 2007). One explanation for the self-control effect is that learners engage in deeper information processing when they are allowed to make choices during practice. Recent research has supported this line of thinking by showing that the self-control effect was eliminated for learners who engaged in a cognitive load task during the interval following completion of discrete task trials (Carter & Ste-Marie, 2017). The current study tested the effects of imposing a cognitive load task during the completion of continuous task trials. Participants (N = 48) were divided into self-control (SC), self-control with load (SCL), and two corresponding yoked (YK, YKL) groups. Participants learned a continuous tracing task and then performed 24-hour retention and transfer tests. Retention and transfer test movement times were significantly faster for SC compared to YK participants within the No Load condition but did not differ between these participants within the Load condition. Errors were similar among all groups in retention and transfer. These results provide support for the importance of information processing in regards to the self-controlled learning benefit.

On Whether Task Experience of the Peer Differentially Impacts Feedback Scheduling and Skill Acquisition of a Learner

Previous research has shown that peers without task experience provided knowledge of results (KR) as effectively as performers who self-controlled their own KR schedule (McRae et al., 2015). In the present experiment, a group of participants first practiced a motor task while self-controlling their KR during a defined acquisition period. Twenty-four hours after their last retention trial, these participants with motor experience then provided KR to a learner during their skill acquisition. Participants were required to learn a serial-timing task with a goal of 2,500 ms. Participants completed a defined acquisition period and then returned 24 h later for a retention test. In retention, learners who received KR from experienced peers were predicted to outperform learners who received KR from inexperienced peers. The results showed that performers learned the task similarly, independent of the peer’s previous task experience. However, the peer groups differed in their frequency of providing KR to the learner and showed a discrepancy between their self-reported KR provision strategy and when they actually provided KR. The results have theoretical implications for understanding the impact of self-control in motor learning contexts.

Effect of Verbal Instruction on Motor Learning Ability of Anaerobic and Explosive Exercises in Physical Education University Students

This study investigated the effect of motor learning with informational feedback into response to anaerobic exercises with and without motor learning tasks in handball physical education university students. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: experimental group (EG, n = 10) and control group (CG, n = 10). Measurements of T-half test, 15-m and 30-m sprints, and ZIG-ZAG test were assessed in both groups before (T1), between (T2) a 4-week intervention program, and after (T3) an 8-week intervention program, which included agility and speed teaching with (EG) or without (CG) informational feedback (i.e., verbal instruction). The test-retest reliability for all tests was excellent, and the ICC ranged from 0.76 (ZIG-ZAG test) to 0.99 (Agility T test). The interday measurement error was clearly below 1% in all tests (CV range: 0.2-0.8). Time effects for the Agility T test (p = 0.012, η p 2 = 0.245) and the 15-m sprint (p = 0.035, η p 2 = 0.190) were found. For the Agility T test, a total interaction effect (p = 0.001, η p 2 = 0.380) and a partial interaction effect were calculated between T2 and T3 (p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.603). A large effect size (d = 0.87) was observed in the EG from T2 to T3. The second relevant (d ≥ 0.5) effect size was calculated for the parameter sprint 30 m. The CG showed a significant sprint performance reduction from T2 to T3 (d = -0.60; parameter: sprint 30 m). All other effect sizes were less than 0.44. The ZIG-ZAG test revealed the largest main and partial effect sizes for all parameters. The EG showed the largest improvement (d = 2.00) between T2 and T3. The results demonstrate that motor learning with informational feedback improves performances of Agility T test, sprint, and ZIG-ZAG performance. It appears that a well-formulated verbal instruction may induce performance enhancement in young trainees in educational environment.

Effects of Self-Controlled Knowledge of Results on Learning a Taekwondo Serial Skill

Allowing learners to control feedback has been an effective strategy in motor skills learning. However, most studies of self-controlled (SC) feedback have used simple tasks that may be dissimilar to sports skills that generally demand more degrees of freedom and cognition. Thus, this study investigated the effects of SC knowledge of results (KR) on learning a complex Taekwondo skill. Twenty-four undergraduate volunteers of both sexes, aged 18-35 years, practiced a specific serial Taekwondo skill that was novel to them. We divided participants randomly into SC and yoked groups and compared their performance after they learned a specific displacement sequence, finishing with a lateral kick (bandal-tchagui) at a punching bag within a target time span. During acquisition, all participants performed 48 trials divided into six blocks and, on a retention test 24 hours later, they performed 10 more trials. We found that both groups reduced their errors from the first to the last block of the acquisition phase and that the SC group showed a better performance on the retention test, relative to the yoked control group. SC KR participants requested KR mainly after good trials, though they showed no statistically significant differences between trials with and without KR. Their inefficiency in estimating their own errors may have been due to task complexity, since many aspects of the task beyond its temporal requirement demanded the learners’ attention. Our results, using a novel Taekwondo serial skill, confirm and extend the benefits of SC KR from just simple motor learning in past studies to learning complex motor skills.

Target Size Manipulations Affect Error-Processing Duration and Success Perceptions but not Behavioural Indices of Learning

We evaluated if and how success perceptions, through target size manipulations, impact processes related to motor learning. This work was based on recent literature suggesting that expectations and self-efficacy exert a direct impact on learning. We measured arousal, kinematics, learner expectancies, motivation, and outcomes in a dart-throwing task. Novices (n = 29) were assigned to either a "Large-target" (horizontal target, 10-cm high) or "Small-target" (2-cm high) group for practice (t = 90), and both groups completed 24-h retention tests. The Small-target group took longer to plan and process feedback in the pre-throw and post-throw periods, respectively, and showed larger joint amplitudes early in practice compared to the Large-target group. As predicted, the Large-target group made more hits and had heightened outcome expectancies compared to the Small-target group. Surprisingly, only the Large-target group performed better than they expected. Despite the Large-target group having more target hits, enhanced expectancies, and more unexpected success, this group did not outperform the Small-target group on behavioural indices of performance and learning. This research questions assumptions and results related to success-related manipulations for task performance and mechanisms related to target size manipulations.

Temporal-Comparative Feedback Facilitates Golf Putting

The present experiment investigated the influence of temporal-comparative feedback in young adults learning a sport motor skill. A positive temporal-comparative feedback group and a control group practiced putting golf balls to a target from a distance of 150 cm and received augmented feedback (deviation in cm) in addition to their intrinsic visual feedback. The temporal-comparative feedback group was given additional feedback after each block of 10 trials, suggesting that their average performance was better than it was in the previous block. One day after the practice phase a retention test was performed, to observe learning effects. The results showed that positive temporal-comparative feedback enhances the learning of a putting golf task. Greater putting accuracy was observed on the retention test for the temporal comparison group relative to the control group. Questionnaire results also indicated that participants in this group reported higher perceived competence at the end of practice relative to control participants. The findings provide further indication that temporal comparison affects the learning of motor skills and highlight the important motivational role of feedback in motor learning.

Visual Illusions Affect Motor Performance, But not Learning in Highly Skilled Shooters

Enhanced expectancies are an important component of OPTIMAL theory and are thought to contribute to motor performance and learning. There is limited information, however, on the generalizability of OPTIMAL theory to highly skilled individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of visual illusions, specifically an Ebbinghaus illusion, on the performance and learning of an aiming task using highly skilled 10-m rifle and pistol shooters. Two groups of shooters with international experience were recruited and practiced with perceived larger and smaller targets. Our results indicated that participants who perceived the target larger reported higher self-efficacy immediately after practice. In addition, these participants had higher shooting performance during practice. Our retention test (24 hours later), however, did not produce differences in self-efficacy or shooting performance. Our data suggests that visual illusions are beneficial for motor performance in highly skilled shooters, but may not affect learning in those who are in the latter stages of learning. Further studies should continue examining the role of visual illusions for enhancing expectancies in highly skilled and experienced performers.

Teaching of Manual Clinical Skills in Podiatric Medicine Theory and Recommendations

In the podiatric medicine profession, there are a variety of manual tasks that require precision and skill beyond what would be usually expected in everyday living. It is the expectation of employers, regulatory bodies, and the public that graduating podiatric physicians sufficiently meet certain minimum competencies for that profession, including those for manual skills. However, teaching and evaluation methods seem to be inconsistent between countries, institutions, and programs. This may be the consequence of uncertainty regarding the safest and most effective methods to do so. A review of available international literature pertaining to psychomotor learning across a range of health professions was undertaken. As a result of this broad review, we present herein the available evidence and make recommendations for the teaching of psychomotor skills in the podiatric medicine profession. Specific aspects considered important include methods of teaching, practice, and feedback.