The Effect of Self-Controlled Versus Fixed Post-KR Delay on Motor Performance and Learning
Previous research has explored the effects of participants self-controlling components of practice, but little evidence exists as to the relationship between self-control and post-KR delay duration. The purpose of this study was to identify whether motor learning and performance are differentially impacted by having control, versus not having control, over the post-KR delay duration. Participants performed a five key serial-timing task with a goal time of 2500ms for 80 acquisition trials following a 10-trial no-feedback pre-test. They then returned after 24-hours for a 10-trial retention test, a 10-trial sequence transfer test, and a 10-trial duration transfer test, all performed without feedback. Due to Covid-19 restrictions a preliminary sample was collected, and the results based on descriptive statistics of the self-controlled KR + self-controlled post-KR delay group follows. Findings showed that participants decreased their absolute constant error and variable error compared to their pre-test. Participants had longer decision durations prior to requesting KR, while the opposite was found in the post-KR delay where participants had a longer duration after requesting KR. Participants also preferentially requested KR after lower absolute constant error trials. These results are incongruent with self-reports whereby they reported requesting KR after both perceived good and bad trials equally, while also spending a shorter duration in the post-KR delay after perceived good trials. These findings add novel contributions to the post-KR delay and inter-trial interval literature, highlighting dynamic contextual changes in post-KR delay durations. However, due to limitations presented by Covid restrictions, further research is required.
post-KR delay, self-controlled KR, inter-trial interval
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