Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

Camus, John Michael B.

Our Lady of Fatima University

Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of practice in some skills or activities on

retention of some previously practiced activity and on future activities. Transfer of training

through Mirror tracing tasked was examined for 1 person. The performance of the

preferred hand initially differed, and the improvement was significantly shown in the

results. It was clearly shown that the brain adapts and retains memory and through this

evidence it was proven that anything can be learn through practice.

Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

Introduction

Our brain can do so many things without thinking (walk, chew, ride a bike). This

experiment shows how brains rely on a familiar setup of sensory information to coordinate

actions with ease: When you change something slightly, such as flipping visual

information with a mirror, simple tasks becomes more difficult but our brain can adapt and

learn to adjust to new information. According to O’boyle, Hoff, Gill (1995) each

hemisphere of the brain has a specialization in different task, the left hemisphere is

responsible for linguistic functions while the right hemisphere is responsible for complex

visuo-spatial analysis.

The concept of learning which predominates both in common sense discussion

and in psychological research is that the process which particular kinds of motor reactions

become connected to scientific stimuli (Troland, n.d.). The simplest kind of learning

consists in the mere memory of such patterned impressions upon the cortex. Such

learning does not involve the formation of habits and in itself, cannot be assumed by pure

behavior based observation (Caputki, 2003). According to Troland learning may take

place either by practice, imitation or some form of reasoning whilst motor control is

primarily accomplished by practice or trial and error.

The simplicity and flexibility of the mirror tracing experiment insured its popularity as a

psychological instrument from the time of its first introduction. The mirror tracing

experiment were conducted to investigate the connection of motor control and perception

(Halpern, 2000). According to Kimura (1999) mirror tracing has become a very important

and popular study to use when determining difference in abilities, each spatial task

focuses on other aspects of it, some focus on mental orientation and some focus on
Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

critical thinking skills. Drawing is a learned ability that needs visual and proprioceptive

response to control your own movement and it creates a conflict between the visual

information and the proprioception of the hand when he mirror faces the subject (Lajoie,

Paillard, Teasdale, Bard, Fleury, Forget, Lamarre, 1992). Mirror tracing focuses on

repetitive motions as the respondents are required to draw the same shape over a period

of time by only looking in the reflection on the mirror. According to O’boyle, Hoff and Gill

(1995) mirror tracing has its limitations as it is only focused on a limited amount of shapes

which with time and practice all people can perform well. However it does measure the

speed and accuracy. Also an old study of Higginson (1938) says that mirror tracing has

lack of control of source and intensity of the illumination, researchers have a difficulty of

adjusting the mirror to distances suitable for the observer, and inability to prevent

surreptitious peeping by the respondents, also lack of control of visual field.

Method

This chapter includes the research design of the study including the procedures

for the experiment, and how the date is analyzed and interpreted by the researcher.

Research Design

For this study, the researcher employed a comparative, pre-experimental

research design. The participant were recorded and scored while tracing the given

instruments to determine the effect of practice in some skills or activities on the retention

of some previously practiced activity and on future activities.

Participant/s

This study was conducted at Our Lady of Fatima University Valenzuela Campus.

The subject was a student and a Left handed.

Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

1. S makes 6 trials in tracing the star, first with his skilled hand and the next with his

unskilled hand, and so on.

2. E observe S. S performs 8 trials, starting with his skilled hand, alternating right

hand and left, meaning there will be 4 trials with each hand.

3. S makes 11 trails using the skilled hand

4. S makes 19 runs with his skilled hand. Immediately after, S makes 4 additional

runs with his unskilled hand (23 runs in all).

5. E and S exchange roles, and then repeat procedures 1 to 4.

Research instrument/s

Mirror, Drawing apparatus, stopwatch, six-pointed star.

Procedures

Record reaction time for all trials

Results

Graph 1: Error

120

90

U2; U4; U6; U8

60

30 U20; U21; U22; U23

18 15 18
14 14
13

0
T1 T2 T3 T4
Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

The results are graphed by plotting the number of errors by trial as a function of sequence

(Fig. 1). Note that performance was not significantly improved over time. Though it is

some evidence of motor learning taking place. In other words, they retained what they

learned, the brain adapt to the new environment rather than forgetting it. Although it has

been made clear that tracing time and errors would decrease gradually with continued

trials (Hayatama, Yoshiizumi, Sato, 1997), little information has so far been provided

about their changes.

Graph 2: Time

120

90

60 U2; U4; U6; U8

30 18 17 U20; U21; U22; U23

11 13 14
9.32 8 6.23

0
T1 T2 T3 T4

The results are graphed by plotting the time in a trial as a function of sequence (Fig.1).

Note that performance improved over time. The participant’s starting point from 18

seconds and dramatically decreasing the time to 6.23 seconds. Second, the rate of

improvement clearly shows learning has already taken place, the participants learns more

quickly. According to Lindauer (2014) the decrease in mean trial time over the course of

task-specific training was imminent and the participants in this training will always improve

their performance on the tasks because their brain will soon memorize the task that they

were simulated.
Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

Discussion

The results shows proof that the performance was improved overtime, it is an evidence

that motor learning was taking place (Lindauer, 2014) The improvement of the scores and

the time that the mirror tracing takes place proves that the brain adapts and adjust to new

environment even if the motor that you are using is not the dominant one. According to

the study of Hayatama, Yoshiizumi, Sato, (1997) through practice, every skills can be

learned. Setting things aside, some problems still needs to be discussed. The scores of

the errors was not that enough to say that there was an improvement but environmental

factors must not be excluded, fatigue can be a factor on why the researchers can’t see

some improvement on the errors of the participant. And other participants can be

ambidextrous. Limitations cant be excluded like the lighting of the room, the noise and

the temperature. Also the researchers can’t always prevent the participants from peeping

through the picture.

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Mirror Tracing - Transfer of Training

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