Proficiency-based training may be more effective for acquiring psychomotor skills than more traditional approaches, such as time- and repetition-based training, according to research published in the American Journal of Surgery.
For their study, researchers assigned novices in laparoscopic surgery to one of three training methods: time-based training for 60 minutes; repetition-based training for five trials; and proficiency-based training until novices reached an established proficiency goals. In a separate experiment, practice time and number of trials were equated across conditions.
Results from their first experiment showed novices in proficiency-based training outperformed novices who underwent the other two training approaches. Results from the second experiment further strengthened the first results: novices in proficiency-based training still outperformed other novices despite similar practice times and repetitions.
For their study, researchers assigned novices in laparoscopic surgery to one of three training methods: time-based training for 60 minutes; repetition-based training for five trials; and proficiency-based training until novices reached an established proficiency goals. In a separate experiment, practice time and number of trials were equated across conditions.
Results from their first experiment showed novices in proficiency-based training outperformed novices who underwent the other two training approaches. Results from the second experiment further strengthened the first results: novices in proficiency-based training still outperformed other novices despite similar practice times and repetitions.
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