Cognitive stage of learning involves what?

• A. Learner tries to understand what to do; coach demos/verbal explanation
• B. No feedback
• C. Practice to refine subroutines
• D. Automatic motor programs; self-correction

Answer: (A)

In the cognitive stage of learning, the learner’s main task is to understand what to do and how to do it. This stage is all about forming a mental plan for the movement, so they think through the steps, identify the key components, and use a lot of conscious attention. Clear demonstrations and verbal explanations from the coach are especially helpful here because they provide the external information the learner needs to grasp the task and build a workable plan. Feedback during this stage supports error detection and helps the learner refine understanding and focus on the right cues.

So the best description is that the learner tries to understand what to do, with the coach providing demonstrations and verbal guidance. The other options reflect behaviors more typical of later stages: little or no feedback isn’t characteristic of this stage, practice to refine subroutines aligns with refining performance after initial understanding, and automatic motor programs with self-correction describe a more automatic, autonomous stage of learning.