Effects of errors under errorless and trial-and-error conditions

Abstract

The authors employed a task which was actually composed of two subtasks performed in series. Error rate on the first subtask was manipulated while performance and retention on the second subtask were measured. Original learning of the second subtask was accomplished via an errorless procedure while the relearning session, held 1 week later, was conducted in trial-and-error fashion. Three levels of error were imposed on the subjects during original learning, and these were factorially combined with the same three levels during the relearning session. Imposed errors on the first subtask interfered with performance on the second subtask both during the original errorless learning session and during the trial-and-error relearning session. The imposed error rate had no effect on retention. The major performance deterioration occurred in the group that learned in the presence of a low error rate and relearned in the presence of a high error rate. The results were interpreted in terms of frustration theory.