three-stage theory

the view that skill acquisition (e.g., of motor skills) proceeds through three stages that progressively require less attention and become more automatic. According to U.S. psychologists Paul Morris Fitts (1912–1965) and Michael I. Posner (1936– ), the stages are cognitive (understanding what needs to be done and how to do it), associative (improvement through practice and feedback), and autonomous (automatic performance). See also motor learning; skill learning.

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

integrative agnosia

a form of visual agnosia in which individuals are able to perceive the elements of an object but find it difficult to combine them into a perceptual whole. Typically, symptoms of both apperceptive and associative agnosia are present. Individuals affected by this kind of agnosia can usually draw an object accurately but only through a laborious process.