Theoretical framework of motor learning is used to enhance perceptual motor skill in physical therapy intervention, which can be subdivided into two main types-explicit and implicit. The purpose of this study was to examine whether stroke patients with unilateral brain damage learn implicitly a motor skill using the arm ipsilateral to the damaged hemisphere. Speculation then followed as to the formation of therapeutic plans and instructions provided to patients with stroke. 20 patients with stroke and 20 normal participants were recruited. All the subjects practiced serial reaction time tasks for 30 minutes a day and retention tests on the following day. The tasks and tests involved pressing the corresponding buttons to 4 colored circles presented on a computer screen as quickly and accurately as possible. Patients with stroke responded more slowly than controls. However, both groups showed decreased reaction time in the experimental and retention periods. Also, there was no significant difference between both groups regarding explicit knowledge of consecutive order. Therefore, patients with stoke had the ability to learn implicitly a perceptual motor skill. Prescriptive instruction using implicit and explicit feedback may be beneficial for motor skill learning in physical therapy intervention for patients with brain damage.

Motor skill learning can be acquired implicitly without consciousness of what is being learned. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of implicit motor learning in young and elderly people using a perceptual-motor task. Forty normal young and elderly subjects participated. A modified version of the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) using six blocks of twelve perceptual motor sequences was administered. The paradigm consisted of the first random sequence block followed by the four patterned blocks and another random block. In each block, the go signal consisted of an asterisk displayed in the one of the four parallel arrayed boxes in the middle of the screen. Subjects were instructed to push the corresponding response buttons as quickly as possible. Young subjects demonstrated shorter reaction times during the consecutive patterned blocks reflecting appropriate learning accomplished. Elderly subjects were able to learn a perceptual-motor task with implicit knowledge, but the performance was lower than that of the young persons. These results indicated that implicit sequence learning is still preserved in elderly adults, but the rate of learning is slower.

본 연구는 암묵적 학습의 전략으로 제안되고 있는 유사학습방식과 기존의 명시학습방식을 골프 퍼팅과제를 중심으로 비교분석함으로서 퍼팅기술 획득에 암묵적 운동학습의 효과를 검증하는데 목적을 두고자 하였다. 연구의 대상은 골프에 사전경험이 전혀 없는 대학생 30명(평균 24. 6세)을 대상으로 하였고, 실험설계는 집단 및 반복측정에 의한 3X5 혼합설계(Mixed Design)로서 독립변인은 학습형태(3수준 ; 암묵집단, 명시집단, 통제집단), 반복요인(5수준 ; 시행블럭)이었고, 종속변인은 골프 퍼팅수행오차(항상오차, 가변오차, 전체오차), 골프퍼팅수행의 지식(전략 혹은 수행지식), 주관적 평가점수(5점 척도)였다. 주요결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 습득단계에서 골프퍼팅의 수행지식은 명시집단이 암묵집단과 통제집단에 비해 많았고, 습득단계에서 골프퍼팅 수행 오차는 세집단 모두 블럭이 증가함에 따라 감소하였으며, 골프 퍼팅수행의 가변오차와 전체오차는 세 집단간 차이가 없었다. 둘째, 파지단계에서 항상오차와 전체오차는 암묵과 명시집단이 통제집단에 비해 적었고, 가변오차는 집단간에 유의한 차이가 없었다. 셋째, 전이단계에서 모든 오차와 주관적 평가는 집단간에 유의한 차이가 없었고, 학습자의 주관적 평가와 퍼팅수행간의 관계는 각 집단에서 상관이 유의하지 않았다. 결론적으로 골프퍼팅 기술획득에 암묵적 학습방식의 하나인 유사학습이 효과가 있다는 점이 입증되었다. 이에 대한 상세한 논의가 포함되었다.