Short-Term Retention of a Simple Motor Task as a Function of Interpolated Activity

Abstract

During Pretraining, S was guided to two targets on a lever positioning device; during Training, S made an unguided move to the first target. After a 28-sec. retention period, S was tested by asking him to repeat his last move. Two disengagement variables were applied in a factorial combination during the retention interval. One required S to retrieve a pencil from the floor, the other required S to return the lever to zero. It was concluded that the zeroing response did not interfere with retention and that the retrieving response did.