The influence of mental fatigue on functional perception-action coupling during skill acquisition

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Structuring learning environments and activities so that performers are able to retain the skills they practice, and be able to execute complex skills under varying situation and pressure conditions, is a challenge in many domains (e.g., sport and first responders). In particular, there are significant gaps in our fundamental knowledge of how affective states (e.g., feelings, emotions, and mood), influence the acquisition of perceptual and motor skills. Understanding how affective states influence the acquisition of skills that underpin expert performance can significantly improve how we train a range of performers and professionals. As such, the long-term goal of my research program is to improve evidence-based recommendations and applied tools for structuring affective learning environments and activities to optimize skill acquisition. The short-term objectives focus on addressing current gaps related to a specific type of affect, i.e. mental fatigue, and its influences on performance and learning: 1) Examining how mental fatigue influences the acquisition of motor skills, perceptual skills, and sensorimotor calibration. 2) Examining how affective states interact with task and individual characteristics to mediate or moderate the influence of mental fatigue. My lab's specific research approach involves a series of laboratory studies investigating how mental fatigue influences performance and learning of perceptual and motor skills. These studies will evaluate how practice and performance constraints, such as task specificity, complexity and degree of autonomy, interact with the influence of mental fatigue on functional perception-action pairings and perceptual-motor learning (Objective 1). We will also evaluate how factors such as sex, and skill level and general cognitive function moderate or mediate the influence of mental fatigue on perceptual-motor learning (Objective 2). My proposed research program will produce both short- and long-term outcomes that: a) contribute to our fundamental understanding of mental fatigue and its influence on perceptual processes, such as sensorimotor (re)calibration, performance, and the acquisition of perceptual-motor skill, while b) concurrently facilitating knowledge transfer of evidence for practitioners and performers. Another goal of my research program is to produce highly qualified trainees in the field of applied motor learning, who will work in a highly collaborative laboratory-based research environment, and gain experience working with and translating their research to practitioners. Developing better models and understanding of how affective states like mental fatigue influence learning and performance represents an exciting advancement in the field, and is an important step toward the long-term goal of being able to optimize learning environment for the development of expert performers.