Week 6

Question 1

learning

Answer 1

a relatively permanent change

Question 2

adaptation

Answer 2

a transient change

Question 3

2 types of test learning can be evaluated

Answer 3

1. retention test
2. transfer test

Question 4

potential issues with learning a surgical skill in using a new method (virtual reality) and an old method (physical practice)

Answer 4

testing environment is familiar to one group but not the other

Question 5

learning and performance variables

Answer 5

in retention and transfer tests we did not consider performance during acquisition at all
- changes in acquisition are NOT relatively permanent due to performance variables

Question 6

performance variables definition

Answer 6

influence performance in transient ways
- the effect of the variable disappears when conditions are altered (intervention remvoed)

Question 7

learning variables definition

Answer 7

influences performance in relatively permanent ways
- the effect of the variable stays when the conditions are altered

Question 8

performance variables

Answer 8

feedback/tools that affect performance

Question 9

learning variables

Answer 9

feedback and tools that lead to permanent changes

Question 10

example of learning variables

Answer 10

1. training wheels on a bike - when removed, the effect of the variable stays
2. chair to hold postural support when skating
3. feedback from a video tapes

Question 11

well-practiced skills and assessing learning

Answer 11

for well-practiced skills it is hard to assess if additional practice will result in improvements
- ceiling effect

Question 12

other ways of assessing learning

Answer 12

dual tasks to gauge is there is any improvements in learning

Question 13

performance curves

Answer 13

indicated that skills can be learned using different patterns

Question 14

overlearning

Answer 14

the process of having a person continue to practice after they have reached a performance ceiling

Question 15

how would we measure if any more performance effects are happening during overlearning trials

Answer 15

1. reach maximum score then keep going
2. by computing a savings score

Question 16

what can we do to assess the effect of overlearning?

Answer 16

calculate a savings score

Question 17

savings score

Answer 17

how many trials the overlearning group saved in reaching their ceiling

Question 18

what indicated overlearning?

Answer 18

more practice trials at ceiling

Question 19

example of overlearning and ceiling effect

Answer 19

group A: 15 trials to reach ceiling
group B: 10 trials to reach ceiling
- therefore group B saved 5 trials relative to group A

Question 20

other ways of assessing learning

Answer 20

1. performance on a secondary task
2. measuring indices of effort
3. measuring response latency
4. generalizability of learning

Question 21

performance on a secondary task

Answer 21

gives us an idea of how much attention is needed to perform a task
- a well learned task requires less attention

Question 22

measuring indices of effort

Answer 22

1. physiological markers (learned task is to a greater extent)
2. psychological markers

Question 23

measuring response latency

Answer 23

speed of correct response or movement performance

Question 24

generalizability of learning

Answer 24

varying the parameters of the task (linked to GMP)

Question 25

the amount of learning

Answer 25

hard to quantify - criterion that is used can affect the learning curve shapes

Question 26

what is often used to quantify the rate of learning?

Answer 26

steepness of learning curves in acquisition period

Question 27

2 problems with using the steepness of learning curves for quantifying rate of learning

Answer 27

1. same-problems as the amount of learning 2. inter-individual variability shows in practice - can cloud results

Question 28

when can you only assess learning?

Answer 28

in retention and transfer - acquisition does not show learning

Question 29

how should practice be distributed?

Answer 29

1. massed practice 2. distributed practice

Question 30

massed practice

Answer 30

practicing with very little reset in between trials

Question 31

distributed practice

Answer 31

practicing with longer rest periods in between

Question 32

how is research conducted for practice distributions

Answer 32

using continuous tasks - pursuit tracking task

Question 33

short rest periods vs. long rest periods

Answer 33

short rest periods degrade practice relative to longer rest periods

Question 34

confounding factor to short rest periods between trials?

Answer 34

fatigue = get tired quicker

Question 35

fatigue

Answer 35

plays a role in tasks such as the pursuit-rotor task - can affect performance

Question 36

bourne and archer (1956)

Answer 36

zero seconds rest group performed worse in transfer - groups with shorter rest periods learned to a lesser extent

Question 37

ammons (1950)

Answer 37

used a pursuit rotor-task with 0s, 20s, 12 mins, and 24 hours for 36 trials 1. 20 min rest period then 36 transfer trials 2. 1-day transfer trials

Question 38

two key findings from ammons (1950)

Answer 38

1. only small differences remained after the last transfer trials 2. the differences in performance re-emerged on the 24-hour transfer trial 3. groups with MORE rest PERFORMED BETTER

Question 39

baddeley and longman (1978)

Answer 39

looked at typing skills in postal workers and compared different distributions and looked at long-term retention

Question 40

baddeley and longman (1978) study design

Answer 40

1. each training session was an hour 2. 1 session one per day (1 x 1) 3. 2 sessions twice per day (2 x 2)

Question 41

results of baddeley and longman (1978)

Answer 41

found that more distributed practice led to better retention when practice hours were help constant - group that practiced the most = worst performance (same total amount but one distributed the most = better)

Question 42

distributed vs massed practice application

Answer 42

1. sports 2. rehabilitation 3. medical education

Question 43

andersen et. al (2015)

Answer 43

explored "learning" in VR simulation of mastoidectomy

Question 44

andersen et. al (2015) and training schedule

Answer 44

1. distributed = Oct to Nov (2 procedures were separated by at least 3 days) 2. massed = May 16, 17, 18 (3 days) - all sessions completed in 3 days (one group over 2 months, one group over 3 days)

Question 45

results of andersen et. al (2015)

Answer 45

1. both groups shows significant differences from session 1 to 12 2. distributed performed better than massed at the end of session 12 - participants learned well due to distributed practice

Question 46

how could we do better for andersen et. al (2015)

Answer 46

yes, didn't do retention to transfer test (need to include)

Question 47

massed practice

Answer 47

reduced benefits per time training, but takes less total time

Question 48

distributed practice

Answer 48

most learning per time training but takes more time

Question 49

constant practice

Answer 49

one variation of a task per practice session

Question 50

variable practice

Answer 50

many variations of a task within a practice session

Question 51

what classification of skills does variable practice make sense for?

Answer 51

open skills

Question 52

which practice produces more improvement in learning?

Answer 52

variable practice over constant practice

Question 53

for what skills does variable practice appear to produce more learning than constant practice?

Answer 53

open and closed skills (based on schmidts schema theory and the idea of motor programming

Question 54

what else is variable practice better than constant practice for?

Answer 54

retention and transfer

Question 55

shea and kohl, 1990

Answer 55

examined whether participants trained constant (specific) or variable practice conditions performed better in retention - used a force production task where participants either produced a constant or variable force

Question 56

shea and kohl, 1990 variable practice in retention

Answer 56

participants who performed with constant (specific) practice were worse than participants who trained with constant + variable practice

Question 57

mckraken and stelmach, 1977

Answer 57

investigated the learning of an obstacle hit task - participants had to move from a starting position to knock over a barrier in a goal time of 200 ms - practiced either with constant practice or with variable practice

Question 58

variable practice in transfer (mckraken and stelmach, 1977)

Answer 58

the group that practiced with variable practice actually performed better on the transfer task (when asked to hit new angles)

Question 59

variability of practice

Answer 59

variable practice increased the generalizability for learning - performance is better on delayed retention - performance is better on transfer tests (even if the test value was outside the range of values used in acquisition)

Question 60

schema theory

Answer 60

with practice people develop rules or "schemas" about their own motor behaviour

Question 61

characteristics of the schema theory

Answer 61

1. participants learn schemas in practice context (contains relationship between environmental output and inputs) 2. rule is maintained in memory and can be used to select a new set of parameters 3. person is subsequently able to select parameters to produce a desired outcome

Question 62

variable practice and schema theory

Answer 62

variable practice produces a schema for selecting the parameters of the GMP (rule can be used for novel movement that relies on the same motor program)

Question 63

characteristics of variable practice

Answer 63

1. more powerful in children's motor learning (Green et. al, 1995; Wulf, 1991) 2. learning the absolute timing of a task (Wulf and Shea)

Question 64

learning the absolute timing of a task

Answer 64

learning the relative timing of patterns within a task might be better with constant practice

Question 65

does practicing the same thing over and over again really help you get better?

Answer 65

not really