The Effect of Sequential Stimuli Technique on Acquisition, Retention and Transfer of Ocular Motor Sequences Learning

3 Abstract: In this research, the effect of sequential stimuli technique on acquisition, retention and transfer of motor sequences learning was examined. First, serial reaction time task was designed. 60 novice, right-handed subjects (15-18 years old, M±SD=17.27±2.87) participated in 5 groups including blocked-explicit, blocked- implicit, random-explicit, random-implici t and control group. All groups performed a pretest and then all participants (except the control group) took part in five training sessions; in each session, three blocks of ten trials according to related arrangement were performed. In explicit groups, participants were aware of the aim and arrangement of task while implicit groups were unaware. During the acquisition stage, control group was only in the lab environment. One day after the acquisition stage, participants took part in retention and transfer tests. The data were analyzed using student t, repeated measures and two-way analysis of variance tests. The findings showed a significant difference in the acquisition phase in accuracy and response time of blocks (each block consisted of ten trials) (p>0.05) but there was no significant difference among groups. However, implicit learning groups during research progressed as explicit learning groups; that explained the effectiveness of implicit knowledge in motor skills learning. As well, retention test showed that random practice was beter than blocked practice in movement accuracy but the type of practice did not have any effect on reaction time task. In transfer test, all groups showed transfer to novel sequence for response accuracy but they did not show transfer for response time. Overall findings of this research supported this idea that learning which occurs in the context of interference can show retention and transfer.

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