Which statement best describes the Guidance Hypothesis in motor skill learning?

• A. Feedback guides an athlete but too much will create dependence on the coach
• B. Feedback has no impact on performance
• C. Feedback should be withheld entirely to promote independence
• D. Feedback always guarantees faster skill acquisition

Answer: (A)

Guidance in motor learning is about augmented feedback that helps a learner correct errors during practice. The best description is that feedback can steer improvement, but giving it too often creates dependence on the external source, so performance may suffer when feedback is removed or not readily available. This captures why a balanced approach works: provide enough guidance to shape the movement, then gradually reduce it so the learner can internalize error detection and correction and perform independently.

In practice, you don’t want to withhold feedback entirely, especially at the start, because some guidance is needed to establish correct patterns. At the same time, giving feedback on every attempt can prevent the learner from developing their own error-detection abilities. The idea is to fade or summarize feedback and allow the learner to rely more on intrinsic feel and self-monitoring.

Other statements miss the key point: feedback does influence performance, withholding feedback entirely is not optimal, and feedback alone does not guarantee faster skill acquisition.