The Effects of Task Complexity and Experience on Learning and Forgetting: A Field Study

This paper examines the effects of task complexity and experience on parameters of individual learning and forgetting. Three attributes of task complexity and experience are addressed: the method, machine, and material employed. The task involved a high-manual-dexterity skill taken from an operating textile assembly plant; there were 2853 individual participant learning/forgetting episodes. A parametric model of individual learning and forgetting that allows the evaluation of worker response to the attributes of task complexity and experience is discussed. Results indicate that both task complexity and experience significantly affect learning and forgetting rates. Potential applications of this research include the allocation of workers to tasks based on individual learning/forgetting characteristics.