The implicit benefit of learning without errors

Two studies examined whether the number of errors made in learning a motor skill, golf putting, differentially influences the adoption of a selective (explicit) or unselective (implicit) learning mode. Errorful learners were expected to adopt an explicit, hypothesis-testing strategy to correct error s during learning, thereby accruing a pool of verbalizable rules and exhibi ting performance breakdown under dual-task conditions, characteristic of a selective mode of learning. Reducing errors during learning was predicted t o minimize the involvement of explicit hypothesis testing leading to the ad option of an unselective mode of learning, distinguished by few verbalizabl e rules and robust performance under secondary task loading. Both studies s upported these predictions. The golf putting performance of errorless learn ers in both studies was unaffected by the imposition of a secondary task lo ad, whereas the performance of errorful learners deteriorated. Reducing err ors during learning limited the number of error-correcting hypotheses teste d by the learner, thereby reducing the contribution of explicit processing to skill acquisition. It was concluded that the reduction of errors during learning encourages the use of implicit, unselective learning processes, wh ich confer insusceptibility to performance breakdown under distraction.