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Performance effects of level of declarative knowledge on a mentally and physically practiced probabilistic continuous pursuit task
Abstract
The present study examined the ability of subjects to learn and utilize predictive correlations among visual events in a complex probabilistic continuous motor learning task. The influence of providing declarative knowledge through explicit instruction of the predictive relationships as opposed to experiential learning was examined, as well as the effect of mode of practice (mental, physical, none). The task involved visually tracking a small dot or "ball" of light appearing on the computer screen as it moved from top to bottom of the screen, and attempting to "catch" the ball by manipulating a joystick that controlled a cursor at the bottom of the screen. The ball followed curved pathways that included features that predicted the ball's final movement with 75% accuracy. Results showed a general pattern of improvement with practice which was equally present in both the instructed and noninstructed conditions, suggesting that, overall, instructions neither facilitated or inhibited performance. Although all practice conditions made substantial improvement, the largest benefit was seen with the physical practice condition. The use of probabilistic information was shown to be equally present in the three practice conditions. Both the instructed and noninstructed subjects showed evidence of using the predictive relationships, although noninstructed subjects typically were not consciously aware of a predictive relationship involved in the task. Instructed subjects appeared to apply the rules more consistently. Analysis of joystick movement involved in catching the "ball" showed a quantitatively different pattern of joystick activity between instructional conditions, thus, suggesting a qualitatively different approach to the task for instructed and noninstructed conditions.
Subject Area
Psychology|Experiments
Recommended Citation
Green, Thomas David, "Performance effects of level of declarative knowledge on a mentally and physically practiced probabilistic continuous pursuit task" (1989). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9013608.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9013608