Order of Acquisition of the Parts of a Serial-Motor Task
Richard A. Magill · Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport · 1976
Verbal learning studies have generally indicated that for the serial learning of word lists, a U-shaped curve exists, i.e., the existence of a primacy and a recency effect. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate the existence of a similar curve for the learning of a serial-motor task. Male volunteer subjects (N = 105) were required to learn 3 positions in serial order on a manual level apparatus. On each of the 20 trials, each subject estimated the 3 positions and was given verbal KR. The dependent measure selected for the analysis of the data was variable error (ve). The data were analyzed by the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). This analysis indicated that position 1 was learned first, then position 2, and finally position 3. Thus, for this serial-motor task, the U-shaped curve was not evident. These results were interpreted as suggesting the possible influence of proactive interference, that man is primarily a single-channel information processor, or that a 3-position motor task is similar to a short word list, which also does not give evidence of a U-shaped curve.