Literature Review on Skill Fade - Human Factors Integration ...

HFIDTC/2/WP10.3/2
Version No. 1/ 25 May 2007
Training Factor Element Summary Findings
adequate for the refresher training of
cognitive and procedural tasks, as long
as there is sufficient relevant
representation of task elements.
• Refresher training sessions should be
provided at intervals approximately
equal to expected retention intervals.
• Refresher training sessions can be just
as effective at expanding time intervals
as that provided by constant time
intervals.
Job Conditions Retention and Transfer • Optimal retention can be expected
when the retention test requires the
operator to duplicate the same mental
operations as were originally employed
for skill acquisition.
Personnel Characteristics
Ability, experience,
age, sex and
motivation
• Extreme environmental conditions have
been reported as damaging recall.
• Considerable differences between
operational conditions and the original
training conditions show degraded
performance.
• Physiological and psychological stress
can both impede performance.
• Trained individuals exhibit equivalent
rates of forgetting, regardless of
difference in their levels of ability.
• High ability trainees reach greater
proficiency levels sooner, significantly
affecting their retention rates by
overlearning and/or their better
understanding of the material. They
will also relearn more quickly.
• Previous scores on skill tests were
found to be the strongest predictor of
skill loss.
• Age, sex and motivation do not
substantively affect skill retention rates.
Table 2, below, shows Summers et al.’s summary of the literature review and how the
component parts fit within the psychological factors listed above.
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