OPTIMIZING SUMMARY KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS FOR SKILL LEARNING

Summary knowledge of results (KR) consists of presenting KR for each of a set of trials only after the last trial in the set has been completed. In experiment 1, motivated by a guidance hypothesis for KR, we searched for an optimal number of trials to be contained in the summary KR. Using a coincident-timing task with summary lengths of 1, 5, 10, and 15 trials, in a delayed no-KR retention test of learning, we found an inverted-U relationship between summary length in acquisition and retention performance, the 5-trial group being most effective. Experiment 2 did not support the hypothesis that the enhanced retention performance of this group relative to the 1-trial group was due merely to a similarity between acquisition and retention conditions (specificity of learning). Both experiments are discussed in terms of a guidance hypothesis to explain how optimizing KR summaries can enhance learning. © 1990.