Chapter 15: Augmented Feedback
1 Chapter 13: Transfer of Learning
1.1 Overviews
2 Introduction: The Two Families of Feedback
Think about a time you started learning a new physical activity, like shooting a basketball or playing a musical instrument. Your first few attempts were likely not very successful, and you probably had many questions about what you were doing wrong and how you could improve. To get better, you need information about your performance. This information, or feedback, can be divided into two main families.
The first type is task-intrinsic feedback, which is the sensory-perceptual information that is a natural part of performing a skill. This is the feedback you can sense on your own through vision, touch, and proprioception (your sense of body position). For example, when you throw a dart, you can see its flight path and feel the motion in your arm.
The second type is augmented feedback, which is information that supplements your own sensory feedback and comes from an external source. This is feedback you get from someone or something else, like a coach, a therapist, or a device. Augmented feedback can either enhance information that your senses can already detect (like a coach commenting on your hand position) or add new information that you cannot detect on your own (like a physical therapist providing data on your body sway).
This guide will explore the two main types of augmented feedback that are critical for learning: Knowledge of Results (KR) and Knowledge of Performance (KP).
3 The Two Types of Augmented Feedback Explained
Augmented feedback is not monolithic; it is divided into two types based on a critical distinction: whether it describes the outcome or the movement process.
Knowledge of Results (KR): Feedback on the Outcome
The formal definition of Knowledge of Results (KR) is “externally presented information about the outcome of an attempt to perform a skill.”
In simple terms, KR is all about the result. It tells you whether you achieved the performance goal but doesn’t explain how you did it. This type of feedback focuses entirely on the outcome of your action.
Examples of KR:
- In archery, a teacher tells a student: “The shot was in the blue at 9 o’clock.”
- In physical therapy, a therapist tells a patient: “You walked 10 feet more today than you did yesterday.”
- In track, a sprinter looks up at the scoreboard and sees their official time for the race.
Knowledge of Performance (KP): Feedback on the Movement
The formal definition of Knowledge of Performance (KP) is “information about the movement characteristics that led to the performance outcome.”
In simple terms, KP is all about the movement itself. It provides information about your form, technique, or the process you used to perform the skill. This feedback is not about the result, but rather the quality of the movement that created that result.
Examples of KP:
- In archery, a teacher tells a student: “You pulled the bow to the left at the release of the arrow.”
- In physical therapy, a therapist tells a patient: “You should bend your knees more as you walk.”
- In track, a coach shows a sprinter a video replay of their start to analyze their form.
Seeing these two feedback types side-by-side reveals their distinct roles and helps clarify when to use each one.
4 At a Glance: Comparing KR and KP
The primary distinction is simple but powerful: Knowledge of Results (KR) provides information about the outcome, while Knowledge of Performance (KP) provides information about the movement characteristics that created that outcome. Looking at examples side-by-side makes this difference crystal clear.
Knowledge of Results (KR): Focus on the Outcome Knowledge of Performance (KP): Focus on the Process A golf instructor tells a student: “Your shot went into the right rough.” A golf instructor tells a student: “You did not take your backswing back far enough before you began your downswing.” A physical therapist tells a patient: “You walked 10 feet more today than you did yesterday.” A physical therapist tells a patient: “You should bend your knees more as you walk.”
Now that we can clearly define and differentiate these two types of feedback, let’s explore why they are so important for the learning process.
5 Why This Matters: The Role of Feedback in Skill Learning
Understanding the difference between KR and KP allows instructors, coaches, therapists, and learners to use feedback more effectively to accelerate skill acquisition. Augmented feedback plays two primary roles in this process.
- Facilitating Success: Augmented feedback helps the learner determine what they are doing right or wrong. By providing clear information about the success of an attempt, it allows the learner to achieve the skill goal more quickly and easily than they could without this external information.
- Increasing Motivation: Augmented feedback helps the learner compare their performance to a goal. This comparison can be highly motivating, encouraging the person to continue practicing. A simple verbal statement like, “You’re doing a lot better,” can significantly influence a person’s perception of their own ability and motivate them to persist.
When to Use KR vs. KP
While both KR and KP are valuable, they are not always interchangeable. Certain situations make one type of feedback more beneficial than the other.
KP is especially beneficial when:
- Skills require specific movement characteristics, such as in gymnastics, ballet, or diving.
- Complex coordination patterns need to be improved or corrected.
- The learner can already determine the outcome on their own, making KR redundant (e.g., a basketball player who can see if the shot went in).
- The goal is to produce a specific kinematic, kinetic, or muscle activity profile.
KR is beneficial when:
- The learner needs to confirm their own assessment of the performance outcome.
- The feedback is intended to motivate the learner to continue practicing.
- The learner cannot determine the outcome on their own (e.g., a marksman shooting at a target too far away to see).
- To establish a “discovery learning” environment where learners engage in trial-and-error problem-solving.
- To ensure learners adopt an external focus of attention on the outcome of their action.
As an instructor, it is also important to distinguish between descriptive KP and prescriptive KP. Descriptive KP simply describes the error (e.g., “You moved your right foot too soon”), while prescriptive KP identifies the error and tells the learner how to correct it (e.g., “You need to move your right foot at the same time you move your arm”). Prescriptive KP is more helpful for beginners, whereas descriptive KP can be sufficient for more advanced learners who already know how to make the necessary corrections.
6 How to Deliver Feedback Effectively: Frequency, Timing, and Dependency
The principle that “more is better” does not apply to augmented feedback. In fact, providing feedback too frequently can hinder long-term learning. The guidance hypothesis explains this phenomenon: while feedback guides a learner’s performance, providing it 100% of the time can create a dependency. The learner starts to rely on the external cue (like a coach’s voice) instead of learning to process their own task-intrinsic feedback. When the external feedback is removed, performance suffers. This risk is highest when KR is redundant—for example, telling a basketball player “you missed” after every shot. Because the learner can already see the outcome, the constant verbal feedback becomes a crutch that replaces their own internal analysis.
To avoid creating dependency and encourage deeper learning, instructors should strategically reduce feedback frequency.
Techniques for Reducing Feedback Frequency
- Performance-Based Bandwidths: Give feedback only when an error exceeds a certain size or “bandwidth.” For example, a coach might decide not to comment unless a golf putt is more than two feet from the hole. This automatically reduces feedback frequency and empowers the learner by implying that “no news is good news.”
- Summary and Averaged Feedback: Withhold feedback for a block of trials and then provide a summary of the outcomes or an average of the results. This prevents a trial-by-trial dependency and encourages the learner to reflect on a set of performances.
- Self-Selected Frequency: Allow learners to ask for feedback when they want it. Research shows this enhances learning because it makes the learner an active participant in the process. Interestingly, learners often request feedback after what they perceive as their good trials, using it to confirm their success and boost motivation, which are both critical for problem-solving and persistence.
7 Conclusion: Your Feedback Toolkit
Knowledge of Results (KR) and Knowledge of Performance (KP) are essential tools for anyone learning or teaching a new motor skill. By providing information that our own senses cannot detect, or by clarifying information we are unsure of, augmented feedback accelerates learning, refines technique, and keeps us motivated. Knowing when and how to use feedback about the outcome (KR) versus the movement process (KP)—and understanding that less is often more—can make the difference between frustrating plateaus and consistent, successful improvement.
Key Takeaways:
- Task-Intrinsic Feedback is what you sense yourself; Augmented Feedback comes from an outside source.
- Knowledge of Results (KR) is about the OUTCOME of your performance (e.g., “Your shot was in the blue at 9 o’clock.”).
- Knowledge of Performance (KP) is about the MOVEMENT you used (e.g., “You pulled the bow to the left at the release.”).
- Using both types of feedback is crucial for both improving performance and staying motivated.
7.1 Frequently Asked Questions
Task-Intrinsic Feedback is what you naturally sense yourself (vision, touch, proprioception) while performing. Augmented Feedback comes from an external source (like a coach or video) to supplement your natural senses.
KR focuses on the outcome (e.g., “You missed the target”). KP focuses on the movement that caused the outcome (e.g., “You didn’t follow through”).
KP is best when skills require specific techniques (like gymnastics), when coordination needs correction, or when the learner can already see the outcome themselves (making KR redundant).
KR is useful to confirm what the learner sees, to motivate them, or when they cannot see the outcome themselves (e.g., shooting at a distant target).
It explains that while frequent feedback helps immediate performance, providing it too often (like 100% of the time) creates dependency. The learner relies on the feedback instead of their own senses, which hurts long-term learning.
Descriptive KP just tells you what you did wrong (“You moved your foot”). Prescriptive KP tells you how to fix it (“Move your foot later”). Prescriptive is better for beginners; Descriptive works for advanced learners.
Too much feedback prevents the learner from processing their own errors. They become passive and wait for the coach’s input instead of solving the problem themselves.
This is a technique where you only give feedback if the error is outside an acceptable range (a “bandwidth”). If the performance is “close enough,” you say nothing. This reduces feedback frequency naturally.
You watch a set of trials (e.g., 5 attempts) without commenting, then provide a summary of the performance for that whole set. This encourages the learner to reflect on the group of attempts.
Letting the learner decide when they want feedback makes them an active participant. They often ask for feedback after good trials to confirm success, which boosts motivation and reinforces learning.
No, it also plays a huge role in motivation. Knowing you are improving or hitting a goal encourages you to keep practicing.
Yes, but they serve different purposes. You might see the result (KR) but need the coach to explain the movement (KP) that caused it.
7.2 Test your Knowledge
Take the quiz to test your knowledge of the material in this chapter. At the end of the quiz, you will be given a personalized study plan to help you master the material.