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Dissociated contextual interference effects in children and adults

B J Pollock1, T D Lee

  • 1McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Perceptual and Motor Skills
|June 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Children and adults showed better skill retention and transfer after random practice, even when initial learning was faster with blocked practice. This highlights the benefits of high contextual interference for long-term motor learning.

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Area of Science:

  • Motor Learning
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Contextual interference (CI) is a key variable in motor learning.
  • High CI (random practice) often leads to poorer initial performance but better long-term retention and transfer compared to low CI (blocked practice).
  • The developmental effects of CI on motor skill acquisition and retention are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of blocked versus random practice on motor skill acquisition, retention, and transfer in children and adults.
  • To examine age-related differences in the impact of contextual interference on motor learning.

Main Methods:

  • Participants: 24 7-year-old children and 24 university-age adults.
  • Task: Ballistic aiming task.

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  • Conditions: Low contextual interference (blocked practice) vs. high contextual interference (random practice).
  • Procedure: 90 acquisition trials, 20 transfer trials, 15 retention trials.

    • Main Results:

    • Adults: Better acquisition with blocked practice, superior retention and transfer with random practice.
    • Children: No difference in acquisition between blocked and random practice.
    • Children: Superior retention and transfer with random practice compared to blocked practice.

    Conclusions:

    • Random practice, characterized by high contextual interference, enhances long-term motor skill retention and transfer in both children and adults.
    • While blocked practice may facilitate initial acquisition, random practice appears more beneficial for durable learning across different age groups.
    • These findings have implications for designing effective motor skill training programs for diverse populations.