The Effects of Style of Timing Cue on Motor Skill Acquisition

The hierarchical model of motor programs asserts that a new movement is learned in hierarchical stages, and that movement timing control develops within each specific stage. The present study investigated whether learning within these different hierarchical stages is favored by different styles of timing cues. Three groups of right-handed subjects (total N = 48) learned to trace a short path while a specific style of auditory timing cue was introduced. Cues were presented in either a movement-synchronized style (cues occurring every time a movement change is required), an isochronic style (equal time interval cues), or with no cues (the control condition). The results indicate that auditory cues were only effective to some degree in improving performance, with no overall differences found between isochronic and movement-synchronized styles of cue, though cue style did have an effect on males' performance when the task was modulated. Strong effects for gender were found, with males consistently outperforming females. Future research should consider using single-subject designs with somewhat slower, less abstract tasks so that subjects have a concrete purpose on which to focus.