L15A: Contextual Interfernce Flashcards
c) Distributed practice is best for acquisition and retention
compared to massed
Schema Theory
True
Order of Practice
What is Contextual Interference (CI)?
Four day volleyball camp: 3 skills practised, focus on different skills each day, game on Day4
Skills = serving, setting, returning.
During final scrimmage on day 4, athletes fail to demonstrate the level of skill that they had achieved during practice. WHY?
revisited later
What is Blocked Order of Practice?
– AAA, BBB, CCC
Easiest and lowest amount of contextual interference (CI)
*High repetition
*Drill-type practice.
*Little-to-no switching between skills
What is Random Order of Practice?
– ACB, BAC, CBA
Most difficult and highest contextual interference (CI)
*Low/no repetition
*Game-like practice.
*Lots of switching between skills
Example
What is “The CI effect”?
When Random (high CI) practice conditions result in poorer performance during practice/ acquisition than Blocked (low CI) practice,
BUT
In retention, the reverse is shown. Random (high CI) practice results in better learning in retention/transfer than Blocked (low CI) practice conditions.
Two explanations for why CI aids learning/memory:
What is the Elaboration hypothesis?
Random practice (task switching) leads to increased
distinctiveness of movements in memory
Going from one variation to another allows learner to
appreciate unique features & contrast /elaborate
Two explanations for why CI aids learning/memory:
What is the Forgetting Hypothesis?
(& Reconstruction)
Random practice (task switching) leads to need to
regenerate solution/ motor program, aids memory
What are the benefits of random practice?
Random practice ALSO better aids transfer to
competition /real-world conditions
Random practice is more like competition where
rarely do we repeatedly do the same thing
Only in random practice do we have to read the context (identify), plan (select response) & program the action each time.
Four day volleyball camp: 3 skills practised, focus on different skills each day, game on Day4
Skills = serving, setting, returning.
During final scrimmage on day 4, athletes fail to demonstrate the level of skill that they had achieved during practice. WHY?
Blocked Practice
Not as good for learning and
transfer as random practice
What are the general guidelines about ordering the physical practice of motor skills? (3)
- Frequent rests are good
- Variation in experiences are good
- Variation in practice order (also good)
PRACTICE ORGANIZATION
What are Hybrid schedules?
When are they beneficial?
where there is a mix of blocked and random practice… can be better than high-CI schedules when:
a) Beginner/Novice (early in practice)
b) Difficult skills
Hybrid Schedules
PRACTICE ORGANIZATION
What is Self-control of practice?
when individuals choose how to practice in the moment… can
also be better than high CI practice when:
- Different skills might be more or less difficult, dependent on the individual
What are the 2 Typical designs for
Self-control of practice?
Gp 1: Self-Control “What would you like to practise next?
Repeat or switch to new?”
Gp 2: Yoked does the same order as partner, no choice*
*amount of CI is matched in both groups
Deciding WHEN to bring CI (switching) into practice
What is “yoking”?
Example
Pre-Test = Same
Post Test 1 & 2 = Self-Control Benefit
How much switching should athletes do (CI)?
- Mostly people chose hybrid schedules, which
varied in the amount of CI - More switching was generally associated with
lower error in retention (i.e., CI effect)
When to switch doing
contextual interfernce training?
- Choice regarding when to switch was often performance-contingent:
- On lower error trials (doing relatively well), people switched
- On higher error trials (doing relatively poorly),
people chose to repeat
Summary for contextual interference (CI) and
related considerations for ordering practice
