Interaction of Feedback Frequency and Task Difficulty in Children's Motor Skill Learning

Abstract

Structuring practice conditions for children should take into account task complexity and feedback frequency in determining the cognitive challenge necessary for optimal skill learning. More generally, the findings suggest that practitioners teaching motor skills should design practice conditions in accordance with the cognitive processing capacity of the learner.

Motor learning in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: feedback effects on skill acquisition

“…Both groups of children showed marked improvements in accuracy and consistency during the 200 acquisition trials with their performance preserved the following day during retention tests. Our findings documenting motor learning changes with augmented feedback are consistent with other studies of children with typical development and children with CP . Although other studies have reported positive effects of feedback manipulations (mirror visual feedback, knowledge of performance, etc.)…”

“…The discrepancy between our findings and these researchers may be the complexity of the task learned since children in our study practised a rapid spatially and temporally constrained task. In another study, children with typical development practised two simple and complex throwing tasks. During the simple throwing task, children benefited the most from 33% feedback; however, children who received 100% feedback as they learned the complex throwing task performed with less error in a delayed retention test and with greater accuracy in a transfer test to a new motor task.…”

“…Specifically, when children received reduced feedback, they performed with greater temporal (timing) error. 13 In another study, 14 children with typical development demonstrated greater retention and transfer of skills when learning a complex throwing task if 100% feedback was provided.…”

Applying principles of motor learning and control to upper extremity rehabilitation

“…Augmented feedback can enhance learning but it has also been found that too much can hinder learning. 61 Our patients naturally become dependent on feedback when it is provided to them. Feedback that is more frequent encourages passive rather than active participation and can reduce the patient's ability to perform those skills.…”

Promoting a Holistic Approach to Delivering Performance Feedback: Introducing the Behavioral Analysis Feedback Model

“…With regard to the development of motor skills, research has found that children with impaired motor‐skill development benefited more from less‐frequent feedback as compared with children with typical motor‐skill development (Hemayattalab & Rostami, ; Sidaway, Bates, Occhiogrosso, Schlagenhaufer, & Wilkes, ). In cognitive processes, feedback frequency depends on the age of the performer; younger performers benefited from increased feedback frequency whereas older performers are able to make cognitive corrections before receiving feedback (Scruton, Webb, & Holland Fiorentino, ).…”