Effects of model's skill level and model's knowledge of results on the performance of a dart throwing task

Abstract

The experiment was designed to examine how the effects of the model's skill level and the model's knowledge of results affected performance of an aiming task. Thirty novice, female dart throwers were randomly assigned to six conditions: four groups to complete a 2×2 factorial of model's skill level (skilled vs. unskilled) and model's knowledge of results (KR vs. No-KR), plus two control groups: one to control for the number of prior task experiences and one to control for the number of practice trials. Practice resulted in more accurate (AE) initial performance than did merely observing a model, and observing a model was not better than receiving no prior task experiences. Subjects observing the skilled model required the model's knowledge of results to perform with the same degree of accuracy (AE) as that obtained from observing the unskilled model. Observing the unskilled model resulted in a more consistent (VE) performance throughout practice. There were no performance changes over a 24-hour retention interval. These findings provide preliminary support for the contention that a correct model may not be the best for creating an accurate conceptual representation; and that the effects of observing a model are short lived.