Self-Controlled Practice to Achieve Neuro-Cognitive Engagement: Underlying Brain Processes to Enhance Cognitive-Motor Learning and Performance (original) (raw)
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Journal of Motor Behavior, 2020
Evidence has accumulated that learners participating in self-controlled practice can both acquire skills and process task-relevant information more effectively than those participating in externally controlled practice. However, the impact of self-controlled practice on neuro-cognitive information processing during visual performance-related feedback has received limited investigation. We expected that individuals participating in self-controlled practice would exhibit elevated neuro-cognitive information processing, as assessed via electroencephalography (EEG), compared with those engaged with externally controlled practice. Participants practiced a golf-putting task under self-controlled or externally controlled (yoked) conditions while EEG data were recorded. Results indicated that EEG theta power was maintained at an elevated level during the feedback period in the self-controlled group relative to the yoked group. The yoked group did not display increases in theta power until the time at which the ball stopped. Both groups displayed similar improvement over the course of the experiment. Correlational analyses revealed that performance improvement within each group was related differently to EEG theta power. Specifically, the self-controlled group displayed positive relationships between theta power and performance improvement, while the yoked group displayed negative relationships. These results have implications regarding the relative effectiveness of self-controlled and externally controlled practice and the instances in which they may provide the most benefit.
Practice Induces Function-Specific Changes in Brain Activity
PLoS ONE, 2008
Background: Practice can have a profound effect on performance and brain activity, especially if a task can be automated. Tasks that allow for automatization typically involve repeated encoding of information that is paired with a constant response. Much remains unknown about the effects of practice on encoding and response selection in an automated task.
Behavioral Sciences
A major concern voiced by motor behavior scientists is to find useful practice techniques that can be effective in improving motor learning and performance. Neurofeedback and self-controlled practice are among the techniques that have recently drawn attention from specialists in this area. The present study examined the additive and individual effects of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback as well as self-controlled practice on motor learning and performance in novice golfers. In this semi-empirical study, forty adults (20 females, Meanage = 26.10, SD = 5.56 years) were conveniently selected and randomly assigned to four groups: (1) neurofeedback/self-controlled practice, (2) neurofeedback/yoked practice, (3) sham/self-controlled practice, and (4) sham/yoked practice. The participants performed golf putting task in four stages, namely pretest (12 trials), intervention (one day after pretest; 6 sessions, 36 trails each), post-test (one day after intervention; 12 trials), and foll...
Physical Practice is Superior to Mental Practice In Enhancing Cognitive and Motor Task Performance
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1991
This study compared varying ratios of physical to mental practice on cognitive (pegboard) and motor (pursuit rotor) task performance. Subjects (36 males and 36 females) were randomly assigned to one of six conditions experiencing different amounts of combined mental and physical practice. Seven practice sessions (four trials per session for the pegboard and eight trials per session for the pursuit rotor) were employed. ANOVA results showed that all treatment conditions, except the pegboard control group, showed significant differential pre- to posttest improvement. Furthermore, effect sizes and significant linear trends of posttest scores from both tasks showed that as the relative proportion of physical practice increased, performance was enhanced. In support of previous meta-analytic research, for all treatment groups, the effect sizes for the cognitive task were larger than for the motor task. These findings are consistent with the symbolic-learning theory explanation for mental-...
Mental and Physical Practice: Comparing their Effects on Hand-Eye Coordination Tasks
2016
The present study aims to determine whether mental or physical practice is more beneficial immediately prior to a hand-eye coordination task. In order to test this the present experiment uses a game similar to beer/water pong, a common party game among college students, and records the amount of cups made. The study uses a pre-test post-test design to account for individual differences on pong playing ability. In between the two tests, participants underwent either mental or physical practice. Two hypotheses are present for this study: first that all participant’s post-test scores will be higher than their pre-test scores, and second, that participants in the mental practice condition will have higher post-test scores than those in the physical practice condition. Using a 2 (practice) X 2 (trial) ANOVA, it was concluded that there was no statistically significant difference between the two trials, nor between the two different practice conditions. The present study concludes that fu...
2011
Motor learning research has suggested that self-controlled practice (or "autonomy") leads to more effective learning of motor tasks. Debate continues, however, as to why. Most motor behaviorists maintain the better learning is due to cognitive and information-processing factors. Recently, others have proposed the learning enhancement is due to such psychological factors as motivation and affect. The present study sought to measure motor skill learning, intrinsic motivation, and affect in self-controlled versus externally-controlled (yoked) practice conditions. Participants, 16 collegiate women's volleyball student-athletes from two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs, were paired by forearm passing skill level, and one of each pair was randomly placed in either the self-control or yoked group. The self-control participants were asked to design their own forearm passing drill during the practice phase of the experiment. The yoked participants followed the design established by the selfcontrol participant to whom they were yoked. Each of the participants' forearm passing accuracy was measured in a free ball passing drill consisting of a preiv test and practice phase on Day 1, and a post-test on Day 2. Their intrinsic motivation was measured using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), and their positive and negative affect was measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale-Expanded Edition (PANAS-X). The IMI and PANAS-X were administered in a baseline condition (after a team practice one week prior to participation in the study) at the end of Day 1, and the end of Day 2. Analysis of the data revealed no statistically significant differences between groups in either forearm passing, intrinsic motivation, or affect. Further research is needed to determine if intrinsic motivation and affect are partially responsible for the learning benefits of self-controlled practice. v AKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you Julie for your love, prayers, support, and understanding through the research process. You helped me much more than you know. To Erin Hannon, Ph.D., thank you for your valuable insight regarding the psychological aspects of this study. To Janet Dufek, Ph.D., thank you pushing me in your class, for encouraging me to continue working hard, and for inspiring me with your hard work including on this project. To John Mercer, Ph.D., thank you for your thoughtful analysis of this thesis and for challenging me to think at a deeper level. Thank you all for agreeing to be a part of my thesis committee. To Gabriele Wulf, Ph.D., thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for and with you, and to become your friend. Your support and encouragement has meant very much to me and I look forward to further collaboration with you. Most importantly, thank you God, my heavenly King, for providing this experience and all I needed to accomplish my goals. vi
Physical practice is superior to mental practice in enhancing cognitive and motor performance
Journal of sport & exercise psychology
Compared varying ratios of physical to mental practice on cognitive (pegboard) and motor (pursuit rotor) task performance among 36 male and 36 female undergraduates assigned to conditions experiencing different amounts of combined mental and physical practice in 7 practice sessions. All treatment conditions, except the pegboard control group, showed significant differential pre- to posttest improvement. Effect sizes and significant linear trends of posttest scores from both tasks showed that as the relative proportion of physical practice increased, performance was enhanced. For all treatment groups, the effect sizes for the cognitive task were larger than for the motor task. Findings are consistent with the symbolic-learning theory explanation for mental practice effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Neurophysiological correlates of visuo-motor learning through mental and physical practice
Neuropsychologia, 2014
We have previously shown that mental rehearsal can replace up to 75% of physical practice for learning a visuomotor task (Allami, Paulignan, Brovelli, & Boussaoud, (2008). Experimental Brain Research, 184, 105-113). Presumably, mental rehearsal must induce brain changes that facilitate motor learning. We tested this hypothesis by recording scalp electroencephalographic activity (EEG) in two groups of subjects. In one group, subjects executed a reach to grasp task for 240 trials. In the second group, subjects learned the task through a combination of mental rehearsal for the initial 180 trials followed by the execution of 60 trials. Thus, one group physically executed the task for 240 trials, the other only for 60 trials. Amplitudes and latencies of event-related potentials (ERPs) were compared across groups at different stages during learning. We found that ERP activity increases dramatically with training and reaches the same amplitude over the premotor regions in the two groups, despite large differences in physically executed trials. These findings suggest that during mental rehearsal, neuronal changes occur in the motor networks that make physical practice after mental rehearsal more effective in configuring functional networks for skilful behaviour.