Effect of different quantities of variable practice on acquisition, retention, and transfer of an applied motor skill

Percept Mot Skills. 1998 Aug;87(1):147-51. doi: 10.2466/pms.1998.87.1.147.

Abstract

This investigation examined the effect of manipulating different quantities of variable practice in the acquisition phase on the retention and transfer performance of a dart throw. Participants in the Specific condition practiced a total of 75 acquisition trials from a distance of 2.39 m. Participants in the Specific + Variable condition practiced a total of 75 acquisition trials with 25 trials from distances of 1.47 m, 2.39 m, and 3.30 m. Participants in the Specific + Varplus condition practiced a total of 75 acquisition trials with 15 trials from distances of 1.47 m, 1.93 m, 2.39 m, 2.84 m, and 3.30 m. Results of the one-way analysis of variance on the 24-hr. retention test from 2.39 m yielded no significant differences among practice conditions for mean radial error. A one-way analysis of variance on the 24-hr. transfer test from 3.76 m indicated that the Specific + Variable and Specific + Varplus conditions performed with significantly smaller mean radial error than the Specific condition. The results are discussed in regard to recent research and applicability to instructional settings.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Motor Skills*
  • Practice, Psychological*
  • Retention, Psychology*
  • Sports / psychology
  • Teaching
  • Transfer, Psychology*