Degree of Cognitive Demands in Psychomotor Tasks and the Effects of the Five-Step Strategy on Achievement

Abstract

Two experiments were undertaken to investigate the effects of the Five-Step Strategy (FSS) on achievement in psychomotor tasks varying in degree of cognitive activity involved. In the first study, a brain scrambler, a high cognitive demand (HCD) task, and golf-putting, a low cognitive demand (LCD) task, were compared. The findings revealed that the FSS, which includes readying, imaging, focusing, executing, and evaluation procedures, significantly influenced performance in the LCD task. In the second study, the degree of cognition differences was narrowed among the motor tasks used by including a medium cognitive demand (MCD) task: card-sort (HCD), mirror-draw (MCD), and ball roll (LCD). Results showed that retention scores for the LCD and MCD tasks were elevated significantly with the FSS whereas retention scores for the HCD task were not. Support is shown for the hypothesis that performance in tasks appearing to contain a greater number of motor elements is enhanced more with the FSS than those having a high number of cognitive elements.