We all know the saying, "practice makes perfect."
But new research suggests that a skill can benefit
from even greater improvement if a person is
practicing it with a partner. This is according to a
study recently published in the journal Scientific
Reports.
The research team from Imperial College London
in the UK, alongside two institutions in Japan, says
their findings may be able to help patients in
rehabilitation after suffering a stroke .
The investigators conducted a series of
experimental sessions with 68 volunteers.
Participants were required to operate a robotic
device similar to a joystick in order to move a
cursor in an attempt to track a moving target on a
computer screen.
In some experiments, the participants carried out
this task on their own. However, in other
experiments, the participants were connected to
the hands of a partner who was operating a similar
device using a "virtual elastic band."
Although the participants were physically
connected to a partner and could feel the force of
their movements during the experiments, they
were not consciously aware that they were
connected to a partner.
According to the researchers, the sequence of the
tasks was established in advance, although the
subjects did not know this.
Better performance when practicing with a partner
The researchers found that every time a
participant was working with a partner during a
task, they achieved better results than when on
their own, even though the majority of subjects
were unaware they were working with a partner.
But new research suggests that a skill can benefit
from even greater improvement if a person is
practicing it with a partner. This is according to a
study recently published in the journal Scientific
Reports.
The research team from Imperial College London
in the UK, alongside two institutions in Japan, says
their findings may be able to help patients in
rehabilitation after suffering a stroke .
The investigators conducted a series of
experimental sessions with 68 volunteers.
Participants were required to operate a robotic
device similar to a joystick in order to move a
cursor in an attempt to track a moving target on a
computer screen.
In some experiments, the participants carried out
this task on their own. However, in other
experiments, the participants were connected to
the hands of a partner who was operating a similar
device using a "virtual elastic band."
Although the participants were physically
connected to a partner and could feel the force of
their movements during the experiments, they
were not consciously aware that they were
connected to a partner.
According to the researchers, the sequence of the
tasks was established in advance, although the
subjects did not know this.
Better performance when practicing with a partner
The researchers found that every time a
participant was working with a partner during a
task, they achieved better results than when on
their own, even though the majority of subjects
were unaware they were working with a partner.
