Behavioral learning and skill acquisition during a natural yet novel biting task

• Published in: Physiology & behavior Vol. 211; p. 112667
• Main Authors: Kumar, Abhishek, Koullia, Nomiki, Jongenburger, Marcella, Koutris, Michail, Lobbezoo, Frank, Trulsson, Mats, Svensson, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2019
• Subjects: Expert group; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Naive group; Oral motor performance; Short-term training; Oral motor performance; Expert group; Short-term training; Naive group
• ISSN: 0031-9384; 1873-507X; 1873-507X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112667

To investigate the effect of short-term training on behavioral learning and skill acquisition during a natural yet novel biting task.
Thirty (18 women) healthy volunteers in the age range of 18–32 years were divided into a naive (n = 17) and expert (n = 13) groups based on the self-reported familiarity to perform a complex behavioral biting task. The volunteers participated in a single experimental session divided into three sets with three series, each with ten trials of a standardized biting task. The task was to position, split and retrieve a sunflower seed from its shell without crushing the seed. The two consecutive sets were separated by fifteen minutes of short-term training. During the short-term training, the participants repeatedly performed the biting task for about fifteen minutes. A five-point grading system was devised to determine the performance and video registrations were made to determine the duration of the task.
There was a significant main effect of training on the task performance scores (P < .001). The performance scores of the naive group before training was significantly lower than all the sets of the expert group (P < .010). The performance scores of the naive group were also significantly better after training than before (P = .001). However, the expert group took significantly shorter time to complete the task than the naive group.
The results of the present study show a significant effect of training on the performance of a complex behavioral biting task. Training resulted in improved performance scores and a subtle decrease in the duration of the task.
•The study showed significant differences in oral motor skills between a naive and an expert group.•Training of the complex biting task resulted in an improved performance scores in the naive group.•Training also indicated optimized jaw movements in terms of reduced duration of the task.