CONDITIONS OF PRACTICE FOR PERCEPTUAL-COGNITIVE SIMULATION TRAINING IN SPORT

Abstract

In this thesis, two concepts concerning conditions of practice were examined for the practice, retention and transfer of perceptual-cognitive skill, specifically anticipation in tennis. First, from the motor skills literature, the contextual interference (CI) effect was investigated for the first time in perceptual-cognitive skill training. A blocked and random schedule of practice was used to train anticipation skills in tennis using video simulation techniques with transfer of learning assessed using a field-based task. Results showed support for the CI effect in this new domain as random practice had significantly greater response accuracy in the retention test, and significantly reduced decision time in the field-based transfer test, when compared to the blocked group. Subsequently, the underpinning mechanisms of the CI effect were examined focusing on cognitive effort and error processing. Across two experiments results showed that following errors, the random groups exhibited greater cognitive effort compared to errorless trials, whereas the blocked groups showed no difference between errorless and error trials. These results provided an alternative account for the CI effect by suggesting that it is not solely the switching of the tasks during random practice, but the role of error processing in conjunction with the switching tasks that result in greater cognitive effort and the CI effect. Second, the role of contextual information in perceptual-cognitive skills training was examined. Tennis shots were displayed to participants in either a smart-random structure, which showed shots in a tactically relevant manner, or in a random order so that no contextual information was available, just postural cue information. The smart-random structure group showed superior response accuracy in retention and reduced decision time in a field-based transfer test. Results demonstrated the benefits of contextual information for the retention and transfer of perceptual-cognitive skills in tennis. The overall findings extend the research in perceptual-cognitive skill training and have several theoretical and applied implications.