Learning to understand the effects of feedback through a playful quasi-experimental context

Feedback is an important variable in determining the outcome of a movement performance. Early research on feedback by Thorndyke (1927), established that where the strengthening of a relationship between a stimulus and a response was a pleasant or rewarding one the response tended to be repeated. Where the effect was unpleasant the action tended to be avoided. This became known as the Law of Effect and it was increasingly interpreted as more i.e. feedback, is better. A good coach or teacher was characterized as someone who provided immediate and constant feedback as it would result in better learning i.e., the desired response would be repeated. More recent research (Winstein and Schmidt, 1990), demonstrated that reducing the frequency of feedback resulted in better learning than absolute frequency i.e., feedback on every trial. This type of research also contributed to the debate on the difference between learning and performance. The Winstein and Schmidt research established that during practice session's absolute feedback produced better results than less frequent feedback. However, on delayed post practice tests several days later, without any augmented feedback, those who had practiced under the less frequent feedback conditions outperformed the constant feedback participants. If you measure learning as what you can do at a later date without assistance then clearly less frequent feedback produces better learning. Not surprisingly, these results led to methods of providing feedback that were less constant, e.g. summary and faded feedback.