When Practice Does Not Make Perfect: Effects of Strategic Cognitive Processes on Errors During Skill Development |
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| Authors: | Helena Nguyen Ann Williamson |
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| Institution: | 1. Work and Organisational Studies, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia;2. Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research, School of Aviation, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia |
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| Abstract: | This study looked at the contribution of strategic cognitive processes such as frequency gambling and speed and accuracy trade‐off in the production of errors during skill development. We developed a novel psychomotor task and trained participants on the task. We predicted that practice would change the nature of errors and be driven by strategic processes, rather than just change the overall number of errors. The first experiment investigated the effects of frequency gambling on errors during skill development by manipulating stimulus probability. The second experiment tested the separate effects of speed versus accuracy instructions to clarify the strategic contribution of response‐criterion setting. The results of these two studies refute the widespread assumption that skill development invariably reduces errors. Rather, errors can be a strategic feature of skill acquisition (e.g. gambling on low probability events), which, although results in speedy performance, would be a dangerous practice in many real‐life contexts. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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