The effects of intention and practice on a non-motor duration estimation task

Abstract

It has already been shown that the intention to reproduce a motor task in the future improves its learning. Here, we tested whether intention had a similar effect on learning to perform a non-motor duration estimation task, and if intention interacted with the amount of practice. Participants learned to estimate and compare two different durations, with or without intending to reproduce this learning in the future, and with two different amounts of practice. The results showed that intention and practice enhanced task learning independently. Moreover, only practice enhanced learning in over-estimation strategy. These finding are discussed with respect to a possible mechanism by which intention and practice might improve the learning of a duration task.