Self-Control of Task Difficulty During Training Enhances Motor Learning of a Complex Coincidence-Anticipation Task

The aim of the present work was to analyze the influence of self-controlled task difficulty on motor learning. Participants had to intercept three targets falling at different velocities by displacing a stylus above a digitizer. Task difficulty corresponded to racquet width. Half the participants (self-control condition) could choose the racquet width at the beginning of each trial. Each was paired with a participant from the yoked group. The self-control condition resulted in better performances and accuracy during immediate and delayed retention tests. These results confirm the advantage of a self-control condition on motor learning. They are discussed with reference to the challenge point hypothesis (Guadagnoli & Lee, 2004).

Key words:

• challenge point hypothesis
• information processing
• practice

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Notes on contributors

Mathieu Andrieux

Please address correspondence concerning this article to Mathieu Andrieux, Université de Toulouse, UPS, PRISSMH EA 4561, Faculté des Sciences du Sport et du Mouvement Humain, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France