Transfer of Training on Manual Control Systems Differing in Short Period Frequency and Damping Characteristics

Abstract

Each of four groups of 16 subjects was trained on one of four compensatory tracking tasks that differed with regard to short period natural frequency (Ω_n) and damping characteristics (2ξΩ_n). After completion of the training sessions, the members of each group either transferred to a task on which they had not been trained or continued with their original task.

Analysis of the training data indicated that relative task difficulty was largely determined by system damping which, however, had little effect on the amount of transfer during the transfer trials. The effect of system frequency was essentially reversed, and a marked interaction between training and transfer frequencies was observed in the transfer data. Similar results were obtained both with relative error scores and transinformation scores.

Positive transfer was exhibited by most of the groups when they transferred to tasks on which they had not been trained.