The Effect of Individual's Perception of Type of Task on Determination of Contextual Interference Levels

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of contextual interference derived from self-regulation practice with regard to type of task on acquisition and retention of tracking tasks with an emphasis on meta-cognition hypotheses (cognition and meta-cognition phenomena). For this purpose، 24 right handed male and female students of Yazd University (mean age: 22± 1. 7) were selected via self-regulation questionnaire as high self-regulated subjects. They were randomly assigned to two different groups: simple tracking (n=12) or complex tracking (n=12). The method was quasi-experimental. The tracking tasks used in this study were designed by software whose aim was tracking with highest speed and lowest error. The movement time and movement error (click) as well as the number of pattern switches were assigned as scores in different groups. The subjects practiced 8 blocks of 16 trails per session; then، they participated one block of 16 trials in the immediate and delayed (after 72 hours) retention phases. The data were analyzed by ANOVA with repeated measures and t test in acquisition phase and retention tests. Results showed no significant difference between the two groups in two types of tasks in acquisition and immediate and delayed retention phases of movement time. A significant difference was observed in movement error in the acquisition phase (P<0. 05) while this difference was not observed in immediate and delayed retention phases. There was a significant difference between the groups in the two types of tasks in the acquisition phase of the number of pattern switches، that is، the complex tracking group asked for lower number of pattern switches. Also، t test results showed a significant difference between the first and eighth block of simple tracking task to compare the number of pattern switches while no significant difference was observed in the complex tracking task. Thus، the finding suggested that self-regulated subjects with a perception of task complexity created levels of contextual interference and then reduced it through continuing the practice.