ABSTRACT
The acquisition of skilled movement behaviors via practice or experience has been a topic of considerable interest for many decades, both from a theoretical perspective having to do with the processes underlying motor learning, and from a practical orientation with reference to the efficient structure of practice sessions. Yet, like most of the other topic areas in this volume, the relationship between perception and action has not been of central interest for those studying learning. Most investigators of motor learning have studied practice on a given movement task or problem, with the focus being on changes in movement behavior as a function of variations in the host of variables that impinge on the practice session (e.g., scheduling of practice, instructions, etc.). Seldom has concern been raised about the nature of these changes in terms of different styles of control or mechanisms underlying motor behavior, and the specific questions about the effects of practice on the relationship between perception and action have scarcely been touched.
