[Purpose] Motor learning is accelerated most by optimized task difficulty. When task difficulty is optimized, the amount of information required to complete the task matches the learner's information processing abilities. The practice schedule is one of the factors which changes the amount of task information. We investigated the influence of changes in practice schedule on the amount of task i...

Spinally transected rats given leg shock whenever one hindlimb is extended learn to maintain the leg in a flexed position, which minimizes net shock exposure. Yoked rats, that receive an equal amount of shock independent of leg position (noncontingent shock), do not exhibit an increase in flexion duration. Yoked rats also fail to learn when response contingent shock is applied to the previously...

The learning benefits of contextual interference have been frequently demonstrated in different settings using novice learners. The purpose of the present study was to test such effects with skilled athletic performers. Scheduling differences for biweekly additional ("extra") batting-practice sessions of a collegiate baseball team were examined. 30 players (ns = 10) were blocked on skill and th...

Methamphetamine (METH) dependence causes alarming personal and social damage. Even though many of the problems associated with abuse of METH are related to its profound actions on dopamine (DA) basal ganglia systems, there currently are no approved medications to treat METH addiction. For this reason, we and others have examined the METH-induced responses of neurotensin (NT) systems in the basa...

Studies examining feedback in educational settings have largely focused on feedback that is received, rather than chosen, by students. This study investigates whether adult participants learn more from choosing rather than receiving feedback from virtual characters in a digital poster design task. We employed a yoked study design and two versions of an online game-based assessment, Posterlet, t...