Effects of feedback frequency on tracking task learning

Relative frequency of feedback is the proportion of feedback presentations to the total number of practice trials.Contrary to predictions from most traditional motor learning perspectives(e.g,Adams,1971;Thorndike,1927),recent evidence suggested that,compared with practice in 100% relative frequency conditions,practice with lower relative frequencies might be beneficial to longer-term retention and learning,but detrimental to practice performance.In experiment,authors manipulated the frequency of concurrent feedback to discern the effects on learning.According to the relative frequency of concurrent feedback(25%,50%,75%,100%),participants(n=48,24 female)were randomly divided into four groups,Firstly,Participants performed a 48-trial acquisition phase in 4 blocks(using the mouse pursuit the moving circle presented on the computer monitor) with concurrent feedback provided under the corresponding conditions.Following acquisition,12-trial retion in absence of feedback were administered at 10min,24hr.Consistent with the guidance hypothesis,the results of experiment indicated strong guiding effects of concurrent feedback and strong dependence on the feedback,as indicated by participants extremely poor performance upon feedback withdrawal in retention.As predicted by the guidance hypothesis,dependence on the feedback was reduced as result of reducing the frequency of concurrent feedback.