Johan M. Koedijker, Raôul R. D. Oudejans and Peter J. Beek
Research Institute MOVE ,VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Citation
M. Koedijker, J., R. D. Oudejans, R., J. Beek, P. (2008). Table tennis performance following explicit and analogy learning over 10,000 repetitions. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 39(3), 237-256.
Abstract
We investigated acquisition and performance during explicit and analogy learning over many repetitions, with a specific interest in changes in the robustness of performance under increased pressure. Explicit and analogy learning groups performed 10,000 table tennis forehand strokes, evenly distributed over six weekly sessions. Explicit learners reported more explicit rules about movement execution than analogy learners, even though this number declined from 1,400 to 10,000 repetitions. Furthermore, performance of the analogy group seemed to asymptote after 1,400 repetitions, while that of the explicit group continued to increase. Despite differences in rule formation, neither group appeared to show performance decrements under pressure or secondary task loading after 1,400 or 10,000 repetitions. All in all these findings do not provide grounds for minimizing the accumulation of explicit knowledge in learning in view of its potentially detrimental effects on performance.
Keywords: Choking under pressure, Implicit Learning, Reinvestment hypothesis