This study investigated the effects on the amount of constant practice previously to the varied practice in the adaptive process for motor learning according to the ecological validity and specificity of the task. Participants were 108 children of both sexes (11.3 ± 0.4 years). They were split into two experiments involving the learning of a specific skill: (1) hit the table tennis and (2) putt golf. Both studies involved three groups of different amounts of constant practice prior to varied practice (blocked or random), and also two phases (stabilization and adaptation). Dependent variables were scores (hit the table tennis), and the number of hits the hole (golf putt). The results showed effects of task specificity because they showed the existence of an optimal amount of constant practice (prior to the varied) only for the learning of the hit the table tennis.
Practice; Motor Skill; Learning
