Contextual dependent motor learning in a static environment

This study investigated the development of contextual dependencies for perceptualmotor learning on static and task irrelevant features from the learning environment. In two experiments we manipulated task irrelevant, static context features, and measured the effect on performance in a serial reaction-time task. Experiment 1 demonstrated impaired performance after simultaneously changing display color, stimulus shape, and screen location, whereas Experiment 2 showed that this effect was mainly caused by the sole contribution of changing the stimulus shape. These results thus indicate that contextual dependencies develop for perceptual-motor performance, but that this process is rather selective. Further experiments will have to indicate whether context change only impaired stimulus-response associations, or also sequence learning itself.