USING BANDWIDTH KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS TO ALTER RELATIVE FREQUENCIES DURING MOTOR SKILL ACQUISITION

This investigation examined the predictions of the guidance and and sp ecificity hypotheses by manipulating different distributions of relati ve frequency of knowledge of results (KR) using bandwidth (BW) conditi ons. Subjects (N = 120) were randomly assigned to either a BW0%, BW10% , Shrinking-BW, or Expanding-BW condition. After 100 acquisition trial s were completed, a double transfer design was employed in which the s ubjects were divided in half and randomly assigned to a no-KR or KR re tention condition. Retention tests of 10 min and 48 hr were completed under a no-KR or KR retention condition. Results of the 48-hr retentio n test under the no-KR retention condition suggested that receiving hi gh relative frequencies of KR at the end of the acquisition phase was as detrimental to motor skill learning as receiving high relative freq uencies of KR throughout acquisition. The results are discussed with r espect to the guidance and specificity hypotheses.