Effects of relative frequency of concurrent visual feedback on serial skill acquisition and retention

The purpose of the investigation was to determine the effect of variations in relative frequency of concurrent visual feedback (CVF) on the acquisition and retention of a serial skill. Subjects (n=24) were college-aged females with no gymnastics experience. Subjects viewed a demonstration tape of a skilled gymnast performing a series of seven gymnastics dance skills consisting of simple and complex movements. Following this, subjects performed the dance sequence in front of a floor to ceiling mirror for concurrent visual feedback on a certain percentage of acquisition trials. The percentage of trials a subject received CVF depended on the group to which a subject was assigned: 100% relative frequency of CVF, 50% CVF (given on alternating trials), 50% faded CVF, or a control group that received no CVF. All subjects participated in three, 12trial acquisition sessions on different days. A two-trialshort-term no-CVF retention test was administered after each acquisition session with one long-term retention test administered 72 hours after the last acquisition session.The results of this study indicated no significant differences in form rating scores between groups. Thus, variations in the relative frequency of CVF during acquisition did not seem to enhance or detract from acquisition or retention performance. In addition, the ability to reproduce the correct sequence was not dependent upon the variation in the frequency of CVF employed throughout acquisition trials.The presence of a significant session effect in both acquisition and retention form rating indicated that learning did occur regardless of the presence or absence of CVF.School of Physical EducationThesis (M.S.