Effect of errorless practice on golf skill learning in individuals with intellectual disabilities

Students: Ellie Bengs, Kya Payne, Jillian Gonzales, Sabrina Gardner

Faculty Mentor: Yonjoong Ryuh

Kinesiology

College of Science, Technology, and Business

Our research examines the effects of error-reduced (ER) versus errorful (EF) practice on individuals with an intellectual disability on a simple motor skill of golf putting. We utilized participants who were diagnosed with an ID throughout two days of golf putting; Day One was a practice phase and Day Two was retention testing. Day One included practice rounds of 10 shots at 10 different distances for 100 putts total, with the ER group shooting from the closest distance to farthest, and the EF group completing the opposite. Although not fully completed yet, our initial round of testing shows promise that error-reduced practice can be utilized as an alternative practice method. We aim to promote the idea that error-reduced learning can be used by populations that are cognitively limited, including younger children, the elderly, individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia, and, as tested, individuals with an intellectual disability.