Contextual interference in complex bimanual skill learning leads to better skill persistence.

Lisa Pauwels,Iseult A M Beets,Stephan P Swinnen,Edwin Robertson

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100906

Lisa Pauwels, Iseult A M Beets + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0100906

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Abstract

The contextual interference (CI) effect is a robust phenomenon in the (motor) skill learning literature. However, CI has yielded mixed results in complex task learning. The current study addressed whether the CI effect is generalizable to bimanual skill learning, with a focus on the temporal evolution of memory processes. In contrast to previous studies, an extensive training schedule, distributed across multiple days of practice, was provided. Participants practiced three frequency ratios across three practice days following either a blocked or random practice schedule. During the acquisition phase, better overall performance for the blocked practice group was observed, but this difference diminished as practice progressed. At immediate and delayed retention, the random practice group outperformed the blocked practice group, except for the most difficult frequency ratio. Our main finding is that the random practice group showed superior performance persistence over a one week time interval in all three frequency ratios compared to the blocked practice group. This study contributes to our understanding of learning, consolidation and memory of complex motor skills, which helps optimizing training protocols in future studies and rehabilitation settings.

Highlights

In the field of practice organization for motor skill learning, contextual interference (CI) has been one of the most frequently discussed topics over the past three decades
Performance differences were tested before practice, over the course of practice, and at retention
Planned comparisons were conducted in order to get a view into the efficiency of post-acquisition processes in both practice groups

Summary

Introduction

In the field of practice organization for motor skill learning, contextual interference (CI) has been one of the most frequently discussed topics over the past three decades. Numerous investigations led to the finding that introducing high amounts of CI, by means of presenting multiple task variants in a randomized order, leads to inferior performance during acquisition but benefits learning, reflected by better retention and transfer tests, in contrast to a blocked practice schedule [3,4]. This phenomenon denotes a distinction between performance and learning and is often referred to as the paradoxical opposing effects of CI during acquisition and retention. High amounts of CI will result in more effortful reconstructive processing whereas the action plan in blocked practice will be remembered

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