TRANSFER OF TRAINING FROM PRACTICE ON COMPONENTS IN A MOTOR SKILL,
Abstract
An experiment is reported which deals with the determination of the extent to which transfer of training takes place to the learning of a complex motor skill when varying amounts of initial practice have been given on a task which is itself a component activity of the skill. Five matched groups of subjects, each containing 30 young Navy enlisted men, were used in the experiment. Each group learned a motor skill involving four differential manual responses to four lights after having practiced a preliminary task which was part of the total skill for 0, 10, 30, or 50 trials. Part training on the discrimination of reactions to upper and lower positions of the light stimuli was given to three different groups for 10, 30, and 50 trials; and part training on the discrimination of responses to red and green lights was given to one group having 30 practice trials. Following this preliminary training, the total skill involving both up-down and red-green discrimination was practiced throughout 60 trials. A control group learned the total skill without any preliminary practice. The learning of the skill was measured in terms of time required for each correct reaction, and in terms of number of errors. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1947
- Accession Number
- AD0641581
Entities
People
- Harriet Foster
- Robert M. Gagne
Organizations
- Connecticut College