A dyadic protocol for training complex skills: A replication using female participants

The effectiveness and efficiency of the active interlocked modeling (AIM) d yadic protocol in training complex skills has been extensively demonstrated . However, past evaluation studies have all used male participants exclusiv ely Consequently, the present study investigated the generalizability of th e effectiveness and efficiency gains to women. We randomly assigned 108 fem ale participants to either the AIM-dyad condition or a standard individual control training condition. The results supported the robustness and viabil ity of the AIM protocol. Although their overall performance was lower than that obtained for men in previous studies, women trained in the AIM-dyad co ndition performed as well as those trained in the individual condition. Thu s, the efficiency gains associated with the AIM-dyad protocol, which result from the ability to train two people simultaneously to leach the same perf ormance level as a single person with no increase in training time or machi ne cost, are generalizable to female participants. The applied and basic re search implications of the present study are discussed within the context o f well-documented male/female differences in the performance of complex psy chomotor tasks. For instance, given the number of women entering the workfo rce and the significant proportion of women in professions previously deeme d to be male-dominated (e.g., air navigation), it is reassuring to know tha t sex differences in task performance do not necessarily imply sex differen ces in the effectiveness of training protocols.