How does physical guidance affect motor learning and learner's workload?
Kazuto Yamaguchi, Kazunori Akizuki, Ryohei Yamamoto and 2 others
PMID 33132519WHAT IT FOUND
Using light physical guidance for every balance practice session left healthy adults less stable at final testing than using no guidance or stopping guidance.
Guidance did reduce frustration after the first session, but not after the second.
Key findings
01At the final test, the group that used the guidance device in both practice sessions scored 10.15 on the 0-to-20 stability index, while the no-guidance group scored 6.31 and the guidance-then-no-guidance group scored 6.76; the lower scores were significant.
02After the first practice session, frustration was 28.9 points in the guidance group and 56.7 points in the no-guidance group on a 1-to-100 scale, significantly lower with guidance.
03After the second practice session, frustration scores were 25.8 with guidance and 38.3 without, but the difference was not significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants were 27 healthy adults without neurological or orthopedic lower-limb disorders, so the findings may not transfer to patients who need balance rehabilitation. The device provided light guidance that was not enough to prevent a fall, so the effect may be specific to this low level of support. The paper does not state which outcome was primary, and the main stability analysis did not show a significant overall effect of practice condition. Frustration was assessed only after practice days 1 and 2, and the day-2 difference was not significant. No augmented feedback such as knowledge of results or performance was given, so the result may not apply when therapists provide feedback.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physical guidance improves balance learning. Continuous guidance produced worse final stability than no guidance or stopping guidance, and the only clear benefit was lower frustration after the first session.