Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license
Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran.
2 Department of Physical Education, Farhangian University, P.O. Box 14665-889, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Motor Behavior, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: The present study aimed to examine the effect of practice variability on handball shooting accuracy among adolescent girls under psychological pressure.
Methods: Forty-eight female students (aged 13–15 years) were randomly assigned to one of three practice groups: random, increasingly random, and blocked. All participants completed four phases: pre-test, immediate retention, delayed retention, and transfer, during which their shooting accuracy was recorded. Data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA.
Results: The findings showed significant main effects of phase (F(3,43)=50.19, p<0.001, η²p=0.53) and practice type (F(2,45)=11.81, p<0.001, η²p=0.34), as well as a significant phase × group interaction (F(6,88)=8.89, p<0.001, η²p=0.28), indicating different performance patterns across groups. All three groups demonstrated significant improvements from pre-test to immediate retention, delayed retention, and transfer (p<0.05). The random and increasingly random groups exhibited more stable performance compared to the blocked group. Moreover, the gradual increase in variability in the increasingly random group reduced initial cognitive load while producing performance outcomes similar to full random practice.
Conclusion: The results support the principles of Schmidt’s schema theory and the challenge point hypothesis. Variable practice enhances motor learning through deeper cognitive processing and the formation of generalized motor programs, resulting in better skill transfer and greater resistance to psychological pressure. These findings offer valuable implications for coaches and educators in designing practice schedules that strategically incorporate variability to promote more effective and resilient motor learning.
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