describe these nonlinear changes in motor performance in order to characterize skill acquisition. In particular, the power law of practice states that the logarithm of motor response time decreases linearly with the logarithm of the number of practice trials ( Newell & Rosenbloom, 1981 ), which appeared to
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Geneviève N. Olivier, Christopher S. Walter, Serene S. Paul, Leland E. Dibble, and Sydney Y. Schaefer
Edward Hebert
result of decades of research, strong evidence supports the conclusion that the opportunity to observe a skilled or expert model enhances motor learning ( Ste-Marie et al., 2012 ). The benefit is greatest in the early stages of skill acquisition, and is enhanced when demonstrations are provided prior to
Elanor E. Cormack and Jamie Gillman
experiences to bear, and have different pressures on their own coaching. This study will explore curling coaches’ perception of their experiences, while looking to understand the viability of moving skill acquisition theory into coaching practice. Specifically, the study aims to ascertain the understanding
Alexander T. Latinjak, Marc Masó, and Nikos Comoutos
identical. In this study, we focused, on the functions of goal-directed self-talk, that is, the aims to which self-talk in used intuitively by athletes to facilitate skill acquisition and enhance performance. One major line of research on goal-directed self-talk has focused on the aims to which goal
János Négyesi, Menno P. Veldman, Kelly M.M. Berghuis, Marie Javet, József Tihanyi, and Tibor Hortobágyi
, 1999 ; Porter, Sakamoto, & Asanuma, 1990 ; Sawaki, Wu, Kaelin-Lang, & Cohen, 2006 ). In contrast, an increase in afferent input through mechanical vibration or electrical stimulation can potentiate motor skill acquisition and intermanual transfer ( Rothwell & Rosenkranz, 2005 ; Veldman, Maffiuletti
Seyyed Mohammadreza Mousavi, Jalal Dehghanizade, and Takehiro Iwatsuki
task in various fields ( Deci & Ryan, 2000 , 2008 ). Combining these two theories strongly confirmed the notion that expectancies in learning environments can influence the outcome of motor skill acquisition. One way to influence expectancies or competence has been to modify a task difficulty for
Diane M. Ste-Marie
necessarily lead to motor skill acquisition benefits and considered the extant literature on the observation of applied motor tasks within the investigative technique of the 5Ws and 1H framework. That is, they framed their review around research questions associated with (1) why observation was being used (2
Greg Reid, Douglas Collier, and Michelle Cauchon
Visual, verbal, and physical prompting systems promote motor skill acquisition in learners who are autistic (Collier & Reid, 1987). The purpose of the present study was to contrast the effectiveness of two instructional models, one that emphasized visual prompting and one that stressed physical prompting. Both models were designed to teach autistic children a bowling skill that was subdivided into 19 task analytic steps. All four subjects received 120 trials under both instructional models in a counterbalanced fashion. It was hypothesized that physical prompting would be the most effective model, but only limited support was generated in this regard. The subjects did benefit from carefully designed instruction, however, thus replicating previous findings.
David I. Anderson and Anthony M. Mayo
This paper examines the costs and benefits of early specialization in sport from a skill acquisition perspective. The focus is on whether early specialization in a single sport is the best way to facilitate the acquisition of skill in that sport. The paper is organized relative to the two major conceptual frameworks that have motivated much of the discussion about early specialization in sport: the theory of deliberate practice and the Developmental Model of Sport Participation. Our analysis reveals that while early specialization in sport is one way to reach elite status, it is not the only way. Considerable evidence shows that many elite athletes specialized in their sport late, following diversified experiences with other sports. These findings raise a number of exciting questions about the long-term development of skill in sport.
B. Ann Boyce
This study investigated the effect of instructor-set performance goals on skill acquisition and retention of a selected shooting task. Utilizing a modified two-stage sampling technique, six classes (90 potential subjects) were assigned to one of two conditions: with instructor-set performance goals or without instructor-set performance goals. Subjects received a pretest trial, five skill acquisition trials, and a retention trial on a selected shooting task (kneeling). The results indicated that the performance-goal group was significantly more effective than the non-performance-goal group. There was a significant difference across trials. Further, there was a significant interaction effect, and when follow-up tests were applied the results indicated that the group who received the instructor-stated performance goals was significantly better than the non-performance-goal group during Trials 2-5 and the retention trials. The findings are related to how performance goals affect skill acquisition and retention.
