Efeito do espaçamento e da estrutura de prática na aprendizagem de uma habilidade esportiva complexa

Abstract

Two topics have been investigated in way isolation within the scope of Motor Learning. First, practice spacing investigates the effect of manipulating the execution/rest relationship (inter-trial interval) on the acquisition of motor skills. Second, the schedule practice investigates the effect of manipulating different ways of organizing practice (combined practice). The production of knowledge on these two topics has been researched in isolation. However, there is a gap in the interaction of spacing and practice structure in learning a complex sport skill. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the interaction between spacing and practice structure in the learning of a complex sport skill. For this, two experiments were conducted. Experiment I, had the specific aim of investigating the effect of the interaction of spacing and combined practice in learning the performance of a complex sport skill. The task used was the overhand volleyball serve, which is a serial and complex sport skill. The experimental design consisted of four experimental groups, which were: 1) massed-constant-blocked practice (MCBG); 2) distributed-constant-blocked practice (DCRG); 3) massed-constant-random practice (MCRG) and 4) distributed-constant-random practice (DCRG). The results of Experiment I demonstrated that the interaction of the shortest inter-trial interval and the combined of constant-blocked practice led to better learning. Therefore, due to the better results of the constant-blocked practice combined in Experiment I, this combined was adopted for Experiment II. Experiment II, had a specific aim to investigate the effect of the interaction of the combined spacing and the combined practice in the learning of the pattern of execution and the performance of a complex sport skill. The research was conducted in three phases: 1) pre-test (15 trials); 2) acquisition phase (324 trials); 3) retention test and transfer test (15 trials each). The experimental design consisted of four experimental groups, which were: 1) massed-constant / massed-blocked practice (MCBG); 2) distributed-constant / distributed-blocked (DCBG) practice; 3) distributed-constant / massed-blocked practice (DCMBG) and 4) massed-constant / distributed-blocked practice (MCDBG). The first 162 trials were with one type of spacing and practice and the remaining 162 will be with the other combined. The massed practice groups had a three-second inter-trial interval, while the distributed practice groups had a fifteen-second inter-trial interval. The instrument used to verify the performance of the serve is composed of a circular target whose goal of the task is to hit its center, located 10 meters away from the position of the serve. The results revealed that the massed spacing and constant-blocked combined (MCBG) interaction was more accurate and consistent than the other experimental conditions (DCBG, DCMBG, and MCDBG). In addition, this interaction promoted learning of the structure and parameters of the skill, inferred through the greater fluency of the movement (jerk magnitude), the increase in the consistency of relative time, the lowest peak velocity and the lowest total movement time. Only the interaction of the shortest inter-trial interval, in the first part of the combined practice (MCDBG), also revealed learning of the structure and parameters of the skill. The theoretical framework of the Decay Theory allowed to provide explanations about the effect of the interaction between the spacing and the structure of practice in motor learning, in the domain of the structure of the human memory, and in the behavioral level of analysis. In sum, the interaction of the shortest inter-trial interval (massed spacing) with the greater repeatability of the combined practice (constant-blocked combined) seems to enhance the maintenance of information in the working memory with a lower cost for the memory system. This interaction promoted learning of score accuracy, structure, and skill parameters.