Mental and Physical Practice and the Learning and Retention of Open and Closed Skills

Abstract

Female high school students ( N = 120) performed the task of hitting a solid whiffle golf ball with a paddle at a target in an open or closed environment. Subjects practiced under mental, physical, or physical-mental conditions for three successive days, were tested on a fourth day, and took a retention test immediately, a day later, a week later, or a month later. Accuracy scores were recorded in blocks of 10 trials during acquisition and in blocks of 5 trials during testing and retention. Mental practice required mentally hitting 40 balls, physical practice actually hitting 40 balls, and combined practice alternated actually hitting 10 with mentally hitting 10 until 40 balls were hit. All practice conditions led to improvement in accuracy but the combined treatment was most effective, the physical next, and the mental treatment least effective in terms of over-all accuracy. All groups showed retention of accuracy regardless of the duration of retention interval. While evidence was produced for a differential effect of combined practice on skill performed in open and closed environments, the rapid improvement, during early learning, of accuracy in the skill performed in the closed environment makes firm comparisons unwise. Suggestions for further research which will clarify the relationship between type of practice and type of environment are included.