Mental practice is associated with learning the relative, but not absolute, timing dimension of a task

Learning about the relative timing dimension of a motor skill is enhanced by factors that promotes higher response stability between trials. Conversely, learning the absolute timing dimension is favored by lower trial-to-trial stability. Mental practice may increase response stability during acquisition, since there is low possibility of adjustments made between trials. Thus, the aim of this study was to the hypothesis that some factors that increase response stability during acquisition phase contributes to an enhanced relative timing dimension learning. Our hypothesis was that mental practice is strongly and positively associated with learning the relative timing dimension. A sequential key-pressing task was practiced with two goals: learn (1) relative timing dimension and (2) absolute timing dimension. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: Physical, Mental or No practice. The Physical group showed greater learning of both dimensions, than the other two groups. The Mental group showed greater learning of relative timing dimension than the No practice group. The results suggest that mental practice produces increased stability, which in turn promotes learning of the relative timing dimension.

提升试次（trial）间反应稳定性（response stability）的各类因素，可强化个体对运动技能（motor skill）相对时间维度（relative timing dimension）的学习。反之，较低的试次间稳定性则更利于运动技能绝对时间维度（absolute timing dimension）的学习。由于试次间调整的可能性极低，心理练习（mental practice）可提升习得阶段（acquisition phase）的反应稳定性。因此本研究旨在验证如下假设：在习得阶段提升反应稳定性的各类因素，有助于强化相对时间维度的运动技能学习。本研究的假设为：心理练习与相对时间维度的学习呈显著正相关。本实验采用序列按键任务（sequential key-pressing task），要求被试完成两类学习目标：（1）相对时间维度学习；（2）绝对时间维度学习。被试被随机分为三组：实体练习组（Physical group）、心理练习组（Mental group）与无练习组（No practice group）。实体练习组在两类时间维度的学习效果均优于其余两组。心理练习组的相对时间维度学习效果则优于无练习组。实验结果表明，心理练习可提升反应稳定性，进而促进相对时间维度的运动技能学习。