Ten guidelines for designing motor learning studies

Abstract

Motor learning is a central focus of several disciplines including kinesiology, neuroscience and rehabilitation. However, given the different traditions of these fields, this interdisciplinarity can be a challenge when trying to interpret evidence and claims from motor learning experiments. To address this issue, we offer a set of ten guidelines for designing motor learning experiments starting from task selection to data analysis, primarily from the viewpoint of running lab-based experiments. The guidelines are not intended to serve as rigid rules, but instead to raise awareness about key issues in motor learning. We believe that addressing these issues can increase the robustness of work in the field and its relevance to the real-world.