Live vs. video presentation techniques in the observational learning of motor skills

The results of recent neuroimaging studies have revealed that activation of the action observation network (AON) is larger during live observation than video observation, as well as during observation from a first-person perspective compared to a third-person perspective. In the present study, we assessed whether this larger activation of the AON resulted in better learning of a motor skill. Six groups of participants (control, physical practice, live observation-1st person, live observation-3rd person, video observation-1st person, and video observation-3rd person) participated in a pre-test, an acquisition phase, and two delayed retention tests (10-min and 24-hour). The results of the two retention tests revealed that all groups of observers significantly outperformed the control group. However, observation did not differ significantly as a function of the media or the perspective of observation. These results indicate that numerous factors may influence the activation of the AON and that a larger activation of the AON is not synonymous with better learning of an observed task.