The Use of the Additive Factors Methodology in the Analysis of Skill

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We present an objective procedure based on the additive factors methodology for analyzing a complex task into its components. Subjects performed 16 variants of a video-game, “Space Fortress”, in which four dimensions of game difficulty were manipulated orthogonally. Evaluation of the pattern of main effects and interactions for 18 performance measures revealed that the task could be broken down into two separable and one integral components. These components were associated with appraisal, motor, and perceptual-motor skills, respectively. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the proposed method for the design of training and for the analysis of performance deficits.