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Although backward chaining has been found superior to whole-task training, the effect might depend on the ordering of difficult and easy segments of the task, and forward chaining requires investigation. The experiment uses a musical keyboard task to test these possibilities, counterbalancing difficulty order with direction of chaining in a comparison with whole training. Performance was scored for melodic errors and for rhythmic accuracy and consistency. Both of the part-task methods proved superior to the whole method during training trials, in criterion trials on the whole task, and during retention after one week. However, forward chaining conferred a greater advantage than backward chaining on most measures. The results weaken several explanations for the superiority of backward chaining but confirm the advantages of segmentation methods in part-task training.

This paper contrasts the positive evidence for a cognitive vigilance increment with several unsuccessful attempts at replication and reports three further experiments. Experiment 1 employs six different levels of task complexity involving the use of auditory cues, finding a weak overall decrement over time. Experiment 2 obtains similar results using the original simple and complex tasks in conditions of cuing. Experiment 3 compares three uncued conditions, finding a slight improvement in response times on the most complex task. Reviewing the evidence suggests three groups of reasons for nonreplication: differences in tasks and presentation variables, possible sex differences, and the presence of cue tones. Making allowance for these variables, it is concluded that fixed-range tasks produce an increment whereas variable-range tasks do not, although all the cognitive versions are relatively resistant to decrement.