KNOWLEDGE IS MORE THAN WE CAN TALK ABOUT - IMPLICIT LEARNING IN MOTORSKILL ACQUISITION

This article discusses the acquisition of knowledge about environmenta l regulatory features that guide the selection and execution of moveme nts involved in performing open motor skills. First, empirical evidenc e related to the visual search characteristics of skilled and novice p erformers is considered to demonstrate that learning environmental reg ulatory features is an important part of performing an open motor skil l. Then, the hypothesis is proposed and discussed that environmental r egulatory features can, and probably should, be learned implicitly, wh ich means the features can be learned and used, even though the learne r is not consciously aware of the specific characteristics of those fe atures. This article also discusses laboratory-based experiments that provide evidence supporting this hypothesis and presents implications for developing instructional strategies and practice conditions.