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only observe either near perfect performance or the
usually large errors committed by novice
participants. Rather, the results indicated that
learning was optimized when one can observe a
variety of performances. The most important finding
of the present study is that we have showed that the
positive effects of varying the quality of the
observed performance is optimized when one knows
beforehand whether he or she will be watching a
very good, an intermediate or rather a poor
performance. Decety et al. (1997) have shown that
different areas of the brain become more active
when one observes to recognize (for example, when
observing a novice model/poor or intermediate
performance) than when one observes to imitate
(fore example, when observing on expert model).
We suggest that the benefits of informing the
observer of the quality of the performance that will
be presented enables her or him to pre-activate the
recognition/imitation of the brain as a function of
what will be observed, which results in better
learning.
In conclusion, observation is a powerful learning
tool that is now available to anyone with minimal
equipment requirement. The benefits of observation
for learning a new motor skill become larger when
one has access to a variety of models ranging from
novices to experts. These benefits are optimized if
the observer knows beforehand the quality of the
performance she or he is about to observe.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by a Discovery Grant
awarded by the provided by the Natural Sciences
and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
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