Abstract
An experiment in spaced learning of paired associates by an ‘ activity ’ method is described in which the amount of specific hand/arn movement adjunctive to the task was varied during learning and in which both the amount and type of movement were varied during testing. Compared with 14/12-15/ years old school leavers the performance of-40-50 year old trainee G.P.O. letter sorters was significantly poorer in all groups. It was especially poor in the older group in which the conflict between the information to and from visual and positional sources was maximal. An analysis of errors indicated that the difficulties of the older groups were for the most part related to errors which, although central as distinct from peripheral in origin, nevertheless appeared to persist in an involuntary way. Implications for training and programmed instruction are discussed briefly.

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