CONTEXTUAL INTERFERENCE IN LEARNING NEW PATTERNS OF BIMANUAL COORDINATION

Two experiments are reported in which the question of whether or not c ontextual interference effects are found in motor tasks that require t he acquisition of new coordination patterns was examined. Participants (N = 18, Experiment 1; N = 12, Experiment 2) practiced 3 novel bimanu al patterns (45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees relative phase) i n either a random or a blocked order. No statistically significant acq uisition or retention differences between groups were found when all 3 patterns were practiced on each of 2 days (Experiment 1). When the bl ocked group practiced I pattern on each of 3 acquisition days (Experim ent 2), however, typicaI contextual interference effects were found: T he blocked group performed better than the random group in practice, b ut the random group performed better than the blocked group in a delay ed (by 1 week) retention test. The experiments revealed that contextua l interference effects can arise in motor tasks that require the acqui sition of new coordination patterns and are not limited to tasks invol ving novel scaling of a previously existing pattern.