Contextual Interference Effects on the Transfer and Retention of a Gross Motor Skill by Mildly Mentally Handicapped Children

This study investigated the effects of contextual interference on the immediate transfer and 2-day retention of a bean bag tossing task by mildly mentally handicapped children. A total of 24 boys and 24 girls with a mean chronological age of 10.2 years were randomly assigned to either a blocked, serial, or random practice condition. Following 48 practice trials with bean bags of various weights, subjects were transferred to two novel weighted bean bags. Both transfer and retention analyses showed that subjects in the random practice condition exhibited less error than subjects in either the blocked or serial practice conditions. However, these differences were not significant. Boys performed with significantly less error than girls on both transfer and retention, while regardless of gender, the heavier weighted bean bag resulted in significantly less error on transfer only. Results provide marginal support for the contention that greater contextual interference (random practice) leads to better transfer and retention than other types of practice conditions.

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Effects of Contextual Interference on Retention of Three Volleyball Skills

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1990.71.1.179 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 179-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Karen E. French ◽

Judith E. Rink ◽

Peter H. Werner

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Physical Education ◽

Contextual Interference ◽

Interference Effects ◽

School Students ◽

Practice Schedules ◽

Practice Condition ◽

Produce Change ◽

Class Period ◽

Practice Trials

Previous research in motor learning has shown that random practice schedules facilitate retention and transfer of motor skills more than repetitive practice schedules. The purpose of this study was to investigate the generalizability of contextual interference effects. High school students (63 boys, 76 girls) from three physical education class periods were randomly assigned to one of three practice conditions, random, random-blocked, or blocked practice within a class period. Three teachers were randomly assigned to a practice group within a class period and taught a different practice condition each class period. There were nine groups with three practice groups per class period. Subjects practiced the volleyball forearm pass, set, or overhead serve for 30 trials every day for nine class periods. All subjects recorded scores for their practice trials each day during acquisition and were posttested after a 2-day retention interval. Analysis of variance indicated significant improvement in all groups but no significant effects of practice condition during acquisition or retention. These findings suggest that practice was long enough to produce change during acquisition. However, factors characteristic of physical education classes may reduce or mask contextual interference effects commonly observed in other settings.

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The Use of Contextual Interference Trials by Mildly Mentally Handicapped Children

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport ◽

10.1080/02701367.1991.10608717 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 240-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

David L. Porretta ◽

Kevin O'brien

Keyword(s):

Contextual Interference ◽

Mentally Handicapped ◽

Handicapped Children

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Relationships among Visual Figure-Ground Perception, Word Recognition, IQ, and Chronological Age

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1971.33.1.59 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 59-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Clarence R. Brooks ◽

Theodore Nat Clair

Keyword(s):

Word Recognition ◽

Chronological Age ◽

Mentally Handicapped ◽

Handicapped Children

In a study of 118 educable mentally handicapped children (IQ 45 to 85), significant differences in visual figure-ground perception were found between achievers who showed no word recognition and those who showed word recognition. Visual figure-ground perception was related to IQ and chronological age.

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Contextual Interference Effects on the Transfer and Retention of Motor Skills by Adolescents with Mental Retardation

The Japanese Journal of Special Education ◽

10.6033/tokkyou.35.13 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 13-20

Author(s):

Atsushi NANAKIDA

Keyword(s):

Mental Retardation ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Contextual Interference ◽

Interference Effects ◽

Transfer And Retention

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Contextual Interference Effects in Learning Novel Motor Skills

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1997.84.2.487 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 84 (2) ◽

pp. 487-496 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

E. Pollatou ◽

E. Kioumourtzoglou ◽

N. Agelousis ◽

G. Mavromatis

Keyword(s):

Motor Skills ◽

Retention Test ◽

Field Research ◽

Contextual Interference ◽

Interference Effects ◽

Teaching Session ◽

Motor Programs ◽

Practice Schedule ◽

Practice Condition ◽

Practice Methods

The present study investigated the generalizability of contextual interference effects by extending previous laboratory and field research to novel movements controlled by different motor programs. 30 men and 33 women learned novel throwing and kicking tasks, practicing with blocked, serial, or random schedules. The subjects practiced the tasks four days a week for two weeks and then were given a postest. One week later subjects were given a retention test. Significant improvements in performance were found for all groups for both tasks; however, a significant effect for practice condition was found only for the throwing task during retention, for which the random practice schedule led to better learning than the blocked and the serial practice. These findings suggest that the blocked, serial, and random practice methods could be effectively used for tasks controlled by different motor programs but must be practiced in the same teaching session, without expecting one to be more effective in learning than any other.

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