SEPARATE AND JOINT EFFECTS OF CYCLICAL WORK AND REST VARIABLES IN PRINTING TASK

Abstract

In order to retest the hypothesis advanced by Kimble & Bilodeau and supported by others that the joint effects of work and rest in cyclical motor learning are the simple summation of the two independent effects, 4 groups which represent each combination of two levels of work (15 or 30sec) and two levels of rest (5 or 30sec) variables practiced a task of printing over 16 min period.
There was no significant interaction between the two variables, but a tendency toward interaction was observable in the second half period of practice. That is, the joint effect of simultaneous variation of both work and rest variables was a simple summation of the separate effects in the first half period of practice, but the work variable had a significantly higher effect than the rest variable on the second half.
Of the two variables, the length of the rest period was more important. The relative importance, however, will depend on the kinds of task and the length of the two variables.
The score differences produced by a variation in the amount of rest between trials are an increasing function of the amount of previous practice. The score differences due to the variation in the length of the practice trial became apparent at the 4 min practice although the amount was small, and stayed at a fairly constant level from that time on. The effect of changing the magnitude of one dose not depend upon the value of the other on the first half, but will be dependent upon each other on the second half.
The hypothesis of independency and simple summation of work and rest variables was confirmed over shorter period of practice. With regard to the longer practice period, more data are needed to confirm the hypothesis. Thus it would be necessary to retest this hypothesis by extending the period of practice and the length of rest and work intervals.