ABSTRACT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter, you should be able to ■ discuss the roles of reinforcement,
knowledge of results, and knowledge of performance in motor-skill learning
■ describe how the distribution of practice, observational learning, and transfer from previous training can affect motor-skill learning and performance
■ explain Adams’s two-stage theory and the evidence that supports it
■ explain Schmidt’s schema theory and show how it differs from Adams’s theory
■ compare the response chain approach and the concept of motor programs, and present evidence for the existence of motor programs
Motor skills are an essential ingredient for all types of learned behaviors, but people often take for granted their abilities to perform complex sequences of movement. The bicyclist seldom marvels at her ability to remain upright on two thin wheels. The data-entry clerk seldom wonders how he can coordinate 10 fingers to produce five or more keystrokes a second, usually in the correct order. Likewise, in previous chapters we have generally taken for granted a learner’s response-production abilities. This chapter will examine these abilities in some detail.
