Which scenario exemplifies Negative Transfer?

Which scenario exemplifies Negative Transfer?

• A. Dribbling in basketball helps dribbling in soccer
• B. Swinging a baseball bat impedes learning to swing a golf club
• C. Throwing a javelin improves shot put
• D. Reading a football play helps basketball

Answer: (C)

Negative transfer happens when learning one skill disrupts learning a new one because the old motor patterns or rules don’t align with the new task. Swinging a baseball bat uses a different grip, weight, timing, and swing plane than swinging a golf club. Those differences can cause the practiced baseball swing to interfere with how you should move to execute a golf swing, especially at the beginning, making progress slower and swings awkward. That interference is the clearest example of negative transfer among the scenarios. The other examples illustrate positive or cognitive transfer, where previous learning aids the new skill rather than hinders it.

Negative transfer happens when learning one skill disrupts learning a new one because the old motor patterns or rules don’t align with the new task. Swinging a baseball bat uses a different grip, weight, timing, and swing plane than swinging a golf club. Those differences can cause the practiced baseball swing to interfere with how you should move to execute a golf swing, especially at the beginning, making progress slower and swings awkward. That interference is the clearest example of negative transfer among the scenarios. The other examples illustrate positive or cognitive transfer, where previous learning aids the new skill rather than hinders it.