Win Pa Pa Myo

II Psy – 1

Experiment No. 6
Psy – 2106
Bilateral Transfer in Maze Learning

Problem
When an organism faces new tasks and new problems, its behavior may be seriously affected by the
results of past learning. Sometimes past experience hinders, and sometimes it aids the acquisition of new
skills. The effect of past learning on new learning is designed as transfer of training. Cross-education is a
special type of transfer. If practicing an activity with a particular part of the body facilitates performance
of the same activity with another part of the body, the effect is termed as cross-education. When cross-
education is form one body organ to its symmetrical counterpart, it is referred to as bilateral transfer.

Hypothesis
Practicing an activity with a particular part of the body facilitates performance of the same activity with
another part of the body.

Apparatus
A maze pattern and a stylus for hand tracing and a stopwatch for time scoring are used as apparatus.

Subjects
Students from Second Year Second Semester Psychology specializations.

Procedure
First, all students are instructed to trace the maze blindfolded with their non-preferred hands for three
trial. Time scores and error scores are recorded. Then the subjects divided into two groups, control group
and experimental group. After that the subjects from experimental group received training on the maze
tracing with their preferred hands for five trials. The subjects from control group do not have any training.
Scores are not recorded for training trials. Then both groups are tested again for tracing the maze with
their non-preferred hand. The results are presented in Table 1 and 2.

Fore test
Experimental Group Control Group
Sub Trials Errors Time Sub Trials Errors Time

1 8 1 min 1 16 1 min
1 2 10 1 min 1 2 29 2 min
3 32 4 min 3 15 1 min
Total 3 50 6 min Total 3 60 4 min
 Mean 1 16.7 2 Mean 1 20 1.3

Retest
Experimental Group Control Group
Sub Trials Errors Time Sub Trials Errors Time
1 8 50 s 1 12 1 min
1 2 6 38 s 1 2 9 1 min
3 8 32 s 3 6 1 min
Total 3 22 2 min Total 3 27 3 min
Mean 1 7.3 0.7 Mean 1 9 1

Experimental Group Control Group

Sub Sub
Fore test Retest Fore test Retest
Error Error Error time Error time
Time Time
1 16.7 7.3 1 20 9

Theory Background
Learning is a key process in human behavior. It is a process that results in a relatively consistent change
in behavior potential and is based on experience. Learning is a process that depends on experience and
leads to long term changes in behavior potential. This designates the possible behavior of an individual,
not actual behavior. The main assumption behind all learning psychology is that the effects of the
environment, conditioning, reinforcement, etc. provide psychologists with the best information from
which to understand human behavior. As opposed to short term changes in behavior potential caused e.g.
by fatigue. Learning implies long term changes. As opposed to long term changes caused by aging and
development, learning implies changes related directly to experience.

Sensory Motor Learning

It includes learning a sensory motor skill. These are skills in which muscular movement is prominent but
under sensory channel control. Riding a bicycle, playing a piano and typing are some examples of sensory
motor skills. These skills are especially dependent upon information provided by the sense organs.
Sensory motor skills are simple patterns of skilled movements. They involve the coordination between
various sense organs which execute the movement thereby calling attention to the sensory control of
skills. Whatever we learn tends to get transferred and we try to use our previous learning indifferent
situations.

Transfer in Learning
A man’s activities (everyday’s experiences) show that each activity is in succession to the
other. When an organism undergoes new task and new problems, its behavior may be seriously
affected by the results of past learning and conditioning. Its only through such cumulative effects
of learning that steady intellectual development and growth, progressive refinement of skills and
creative thinking are made possible. Thus, whenever one activity affects another following it
(either by facilitating it or interfering with it, there is set to be transfer). As Sandiford pointed
out, all education is based on the existence of phenomena of transfer. The educators object it to
teach a child or an adult principles or methods for dealing with specific task in different
situations. There are different kinds of transfers:
Positive Transfer: Its effects occur if experience facilitates the acquisition of anew scale or
solution of a new problem placed in the new situation. The learner performs significantly better
than he would without the benefit of fast training.
Negative Transfer: Its effects are inferred if past experience renders more difficult or slows down
the acquisition of a new skill or the solution of anew problem. Placed in the same situation, the
learner performs more poorly than he would perform without training.
Zero Transfer: It denotes the fact that performance in the new situation is neither aider nor
hindered by the past training. A statement that there’s no zero transfer can mean only that with
the measuring device of our disposal, no transfer effect from our situation to other situation can
be detected.
Specific Transfer: Transfer effects are named as specific if they can be referred to determinate
similarity relations between the element of two or more succeeding tasks.
Non-specific Transfer: This transfer is not dependent on any particular set of associated
components from first to second task. On the contrary, non-specific sources of transfer are
common for all different paradigms. Spread of influence from first task may take the form of
subject, improve adaptation or the subject be more animated or warmed up.
Vertical Transfer: It refers to situations in which one requires new knowledge or skills by
building up more basic information or procedures in hierarchical fashion or example, we must
know alphabets to be able to read books.
Cross Education: It refers to many adult manual skills of transfer from one limb to another or
example, we cannot although by our non-preferred hand but what is rather frequent is that tricks
acquired by one limb can also be performed to a greater or lesser extent by corresponding
member on the opposite side of the body. Motor learning, however, does not travel necessarily
straight across to the bilaterally symmetrical members, it may also on occasions proceed from
hand to food on the same side. This is known as homolateral transfer, thus practice of activity
with particular part of the body usually facilitates performance by same activity with the other
part of the body.
Bilateral Transfer: When cross education occurs from one body part to its symmetrical
counterpart, we are speaking of bilateral transfer. The transfer may be from one skin area to
another.
Data Analysis
Fore Test:
  Experimental Group:
 Trials: Mean = 1
 Errors: Mean = 16.7
 Time: Mean = 2 minutes
 Control Group:
 Trials: Mean = 1
 Errors: Mean = 20
 Time: Mean = 1.3 minutes
Retest:
 Experimental Group:
 Trials: Mean = 1
 Errors: Mean = 7.3
 Time: Mean = 0.7 minutes
 Control Group:
 Trials: Mean = 1
 Errors: Mean = 9
 Time: Mean = 1 minute

Discussion
1. Fore Test Comparison:
 The experimental group and control group both performed the initial maze tracing task
with their non-preferred hand. The control group had slightly higher error rates and
completed the task in less time, suggesting potential individual differences.
2. Training Effect (Experimental Group):
 After receiving training with their preferred hand, the experimental group showed
improvements in the retest:
 Reduced errors from a mean of 16.7 to 7.3.
 Reduced completion time from 2 minutes to 0.7 minutes.
 This indicates a positive training effect, demonstrating the benefits of practicing with the
preferred hand.
3. Control Group Performance:
  The control group did not receive any training and, consequently, showed minimal
changes between the fore test and retest. This suggests that natural improvement or
learning did not occur without specific training.
4. Time vs. Errors:
 It's noteworthy that the control group consistently completed the task in less time, even
though they had slightly higher error rates. This indicates a potential speed-accuracy
trade-off.
5. Limitations:
 Consider discussing any potential limitations of the study, such as sample size, possible
confounding variables, or the specific maze design.
6. Practical Implications:
 This study has implications for motor skill training and rehabilitation. It highlights the
importance of targeted training with the preferred hand to improve performance.

Conclusion
The results indicate a notable improvement in the experimental group's performance after training with
their preferred hands. They demonstrated a reduction in errors and completion time. In contrast, the
control group showed minimal changes between the fore test and retest, suggesting that natural
improvement did not occur without specific training.
Based on the provided data and analysis, it supports the hypothesis. Overall, the results of the study
provide empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis that training with the preferred hand enhances
performance with the non-preferred hand in maze tracing.