RESCALING AN ACQUIRED DISCRETE AIMING MOVEMENT - SPECIFIC OR GENERAL MOTOR LEARNING

In this study we examined the ability of young adults to rescale a tar get-aiming movement to meet new spatial demands. Of interest was the r ole of response-produced visual feedback in the learning process, as w ell as the specificity/generalizability of motor learning. The analysi s of both performance and kinematic data indicate that rather than bec oming less dependent on visual response-produced feedback with practic e, part of skill acquisition involved learning to use feedback rapidly and efficiently. Transfer of training between spatial mapping conditi ons appeared to depend on the degree to which a specific training cond ition encouraged participants to employ the visual information process ing procedures required in retention and transfer. Overall our results are consistent with the view that motor learning involved the develop ment of specific feedback processing procedures.