Lecture 5 How To Practice Flashcards
How long did Simon and chase (1973) find that it took chess players to be at an international level?
10 years of intense practice
Describe a study that suggests blocked practice as a contextual interference type is better than random practice? However, what was the problem with this study? And what was done to fix it? What type of design is this called? What was found?
Shae and Morgan (1979) asked ps to knock over 6 wooden targets with a tennis ball in a certain order depending on the colour of a stimulus light flashed. Data suggested that the blocked group learnt this configurations quicker than the random group. However, had to tell if this was due to learning quicker or the hinderance of switching between two tasks. So ps performance tested again 10 minutes later. This is a transfer design. This time found better performance for random trials.
When a double- transfer design was performed for random or blocked trials across 2 post training tests what did the results indicate?
That randomising trials gave the greatest increase in performance
What are the two theories that explain the contextual interference effect?
Elaborating and distinctive processing- switching between tasks force people to think harder.
Forgetting and reconstruction processing- having to forget the previous task and reconstruct the information for the next task promotes memory processing. Both are supported and essentially say the same thing.
What task did Bourne and Archer (1956) perform to decide if massed or distributed practice was better and what did they find? What happened when Ammons (1950) tested the same people a day later?
They used the pursuit rotor tracking task for 5 different practice distributions. They found that the longer the rest between trials, the greater performance of the task. When tested a day later performance was still greater for those who had longer rest periods.
What are open and closed skills?
Open skills are the kind of skills that are variable and unpredictable. Closed skills are invariant and predictable.
Describe the task by Shae and Kohl (1991) that was used to rest whether variable or invariant conditions were better for skill performance?
Shae and Kohl (1991) had participants squeeze a hand held device to get to 150 Newtowns. Within the practice sessions ps were either given the criterion to reach 150 N with 100 practices, or to have 100 practices at 150 N as well as at other N amounts or to have equal amount of practices as group 2 for 150 N. Found that the third group with increased invariant practices at 150 N had the best performance over time. Varibalility within the practice for group 2 therefore did not help retention.
What did Goode et al (2008) find when it came to solving anagrams practice ? Why is this type of practice argued to increase performance?
That variable practices improved performance. Variability in practices widens the schema of the task and therefore improves generalisability.
What is implicit memory and implicit learning?
Implicit memory is memory without conscious awareness. Similarly implicit learning is learning something that we cannot say how we learned.
What is explicit memory and explicit learning?
Explicit memory is memories that we are consciously aware of. Explicit learning is learning things through conscious verbal instruction,
Describe Berry and Broadents (1984) study on the sugar factory simulation and what was found.
Barry and Broadbent had ps control the output of sugar in a simulation whilst the number of workers were adjusted. After a number of trials the ps were asked how they knew how much sugar to produce. They said that they did not know how they knew. This is an example of implicit learning. When the ps were instructed on the process, explicit knowledge of the task improved but the overall performance did not.
Is modelling an effective strategy to learn a skill? Under what conditions is it more effective? Why is this the case?
No. more effective when watching a novice perform the skill as opposed to an expert. This could be due to the fact that experts make minimal errors and errors are beneficially in learning.
Describe the study by Ericcson et al (1993) which explores the role of deliberate practice?
Recruited different level violinists. Top level professionals, best in an academy, good in an academy and those who will most likely end up as teachers. Interviewed these groups for
Biographical details and had them complete a diary. Found that the better the violist you were, the more deliberate practice you engaged in. They were more structured in their practice and more mindful of how they spent their time. Ericcson et al therefore concluded that differences in performance can almost all be attributed to practice and if there was an innate quality is was the motivation to engage in large amounts of boring and hard work.
