Contextual dependent motor learning in a static environment

In the present experiment the question whether perceptual-motor skill acquisition can be context-dependent was addressed. The experiment was conducted in a static environment. This means the irrelevant stimuli did not co-vary with the task relevant stimuli. The serial reaction-time task paradigm (SRT, Nissen & Bullemer, 1987) was used. Effects on performance were assessed of three changes in perceptual context properties between acquisition and testing. These three changes were a change in background colour of the display, in shape of the possible stimulus locations and in position on the display of the possible stimuli locations. The extent to which awareness of the sequence in the SRT influences the development of contextual dependencies, was also examined. The results suggest that perceptual-motor skill acquisition can be context-dependent in the examined situation, but that the effect depends on which context property is changed. A detrimental effect was found on performance when shape was changed, but not when background colour or position were. No results were found that would suggest that the extent to which participants were aware of the sequence in the SRT had an influence on the development of contextual dependencies.