Frequency of knowledge of results does not influence perceptual learning and retention in novices

Jörg Schorer *, Rouwen Cañal-Bruland ** and Steve Cobley ***

(*) Department of Sport Psychology, University of Münster, Germany
(**) Research Institute MOVE, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
(***) Carnegie Faculty of Sport & Education, Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

Citation

Schorer, J., Cañal-Bruland, R., Cobley, S. (2010). Frequency of knowledge of results does not influence perceptual learning and retention in novices. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 41(2), 107-117.

Abstract

In motor learning the examination of knowledge of results frequency is a well studied subject. However, to our best knowledge, no video-based perceptual training study has tested the influence of knowledge of results frequency on learning and long-term retention. Therefore, in this study we examined the influence of four knowledge of result frequency schedules on perceptual learning and retention in an anticipation task in Handball. Results did not reveal a significant interaction between learning or retention and knowledge of result conditions. However, even after a 7 month retention interval, participants showed better performances than in pre-test conditions. Based on our results we conclude that concurrent visual information cues seems more important than knowledge of results in perceptual learning of the handball task. To test this assumption in the future spatial and temporal occlusion paradigms are proposed.

Keywords: Anticipation, Feedback, Handball, Perceptual learning, Retention