Part-Task Training Strategies in Simulated Carrier Landing Final-Approach Training

An investigation of the impact of part-task training strategies on transfer to simulated carrier landing was conducted in a simulator. College students were taught carrier landing final-approach skills in the simulator under a control or one of three experimental training conditions, and were then tested in the simulator on a criterion configuration that was identical to the control training condition. A task segmentation training strategy (chaining) and a task simplification training strategy (enhancement of the simulated aircraft's response to throttle adjustments) were tested. In addition, the subjects' motor-skill aptitudes were assessed using a video game that has previously been shown to correlate with simulated carrier landing performance. Training under backward procedures of chaining produced better transfer to the criterion task than did an equal number of training trials on the criterion task itself. An interaction between aptitude and treatment indicated that the chaining method of training was particularly advantageous for low-aptitude subjects. The simplification strategy did not appear to enhance transfer.