The effect of normative feedback on motor learning among elite goalball players

Goalball is a Paralympic sport for athletes with visual impairments that relies on auditory cues, where effective feedback is crucial for guiding motor learning and can significantly impact successful performance. The present study investigated the effect of normative feedback on throwing accuracy among elite goalball athletes. Twenty elite goalball players (10 men, 10 women; mean age = 24.55 ± 1.50 years) were recruited from the national men’s and women’s goalball teams and randomly assigned to either a positive feedback group or a control group. Participants in the positive feedback group received performance feedback 10 % better than their actual performance, while the control group received feedback on their actual performance. The acquisition phase included 6 blocks of 10 trials, followed by immediate and delayed (24 h after acquisition) retention tests conducted without augmented feedback. Data were analyzed using a mixed-factor ANOVA with repeated measures, along with post hoc tests (Bonferroni corrections and independent samples t-tests), to assess group differences and performance changes over time. Results indicated that the positive feedback group demonstrated significant improvements in motor performance and immediate and delayed retentions compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the effectiveness of positive feedback in enhancing motor learning and suggest its practical application as a motivational tool in the training of elite athletes with vision impairment such as goalball.