The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of knowledge of results (KR) frequency and task complexity on motor skill acquisition. The task consisted of throwing a bocha ball to place it as close as possible to the target ball. 120 students ages 11 to 13 years were assigned to one of eight experimental groups according to knowledge of results frequency (25, 50, 75, and 100%) and task c...

Although there is evidence for age-related changes in both cognition and motor control, very little is known about the effect of age on learning of new motor skills. The present experiment addressed the interaction between aging and the role of knowledge of results (KR) on a motor learning task. Using a three-segment task on which each segment had specific timing goals, three different manipula...

Three experiments were conducted to determine if the intention to perform motor sequences in the future results in similar patterns of activation and inhibition as observed for verbal scripts. In Experiments 1 and 2, intention was induced by informing one group that they would be tested on the tasks following acquisition; the other group was not informed of the retention test. Recognition tests...

The present experiment was designed to test the predictions of the constrained-action hypothesis. This hypothesis proposes that when performers utilize an internal focus of attention (focus on their movements) they may actually constrain or interfere with automatic control processes that would normally regulate the movement, whereas an external focus of attention (focus on the movement effect) ...

As a result of increasing complexity in mechanisms of control, attention has been directed towards certain aspects of motor skill which are found to be of particular importance in the design of machines for human operation. A typical function is that of tracking, in which the operator is required to maintain alignment continuously between an indicator and some moving object or point, as in trai...

A recent study has provided surprising new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying our ability to transfer a learned motor skill from one hand to the other.

This study investigated the influence of normative feedback on learning a sequential timing task. In addition to feedback about their performance per trial, two groups of participants received bogus normative feedback about a peer group's average block-to-block improvement after each block of 10 trials. Scores indicated either greater (better group) or less (worse group) than the average improv...

Motorskill learning is a dynamic process that continues covertly after training has ended and eventually leads to delayed increments in performance. Current theories suggest that this off-line improvement takes time and appears only after several hours. Here we show an early transient and short-lived boost in performance, emerging as early as 5-30 min after training but no longer observed 4 h l...