ERIC Number: EJ847014
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-7393
EISSN: N/A
Integrated and Independent Learning of Hand-Related Constituent Sequences
Berner, Michael P.; Hoffmann, Joachim
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, v35 n4 p890-904 2009
In almost all daily activities fingers of both hands are used in coordinated succession. The present experiments explored whether learning in such tasks pertains not only to the overall sequence spanning both hands but also to the constituent sequences of each hand. In a serial reaction time task, 2 repeating hand-related sequences were intertwined, so that actions of one hand alternated with actions of the other hand. Integrated learning of the overall sequence was weak when the constituent sequences were uncorrelated (Experiment 1) and massive when they were correlated (Experiment 2). Both experiments yielded evidence suggesting partly independent learning of the hand-related sequences. There were no reliable indications of intermanual transfer of this hand-related sequence knowledge. The findings suggest that after sufficient training of coordinated action sequences involving several limbs, a part of the acquired sequence knowledge begins to be represented in an effector-specific manner. (Contains 5 tables, 5 figures, and 2 footnotes.)
Descriptors: Curriculum Development, Reaction Time, Learning Processes, Psychomotor Skills, Handedness, Task Analysis, Transfer of Training, Correlation, Error Patterns, Statistical Analysis, Serial Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A