Contextual Interference Effect Is Independent of Retroactive Inhibition but Variable Practice Is Not Always Beneficial.

ABSTRACT: Positive effects of variable practice conditions on subsequent motor memory consolidation and generalization are widely accepted and described as the contextual interference effect (CIE). However, the general benefits of CIE are low and these benefits might even depend on decreased retest performances in the blocked-practicing control group, caused by retroactive inhibition. The aim of this study was to investigate if CIE represents a true learning phenomenon or possibly reflects confounding effects of retroactive inhibition. We tested 48 healthy human participants adapting their reaching movements to three different force field magnitudes. Subjects practiced the force fields in either a Blocked (B), Random (R), or Constant (C) schedule. In addition, subjects of the Blocked group performed

SUBMITTER: Thurer B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6557302 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature