Purpose:
The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of different types of verbal feedback in the learning of a complex movement task.

Methods:
Twenty university students took part in a six-week training course learning how to correctly execute the vertical jump. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group E&P received verbal feedback on errors made during movement execution and on how to improve, Group P obtained verbal feedback only when they correctly performed the task, and Group E was provided with verbal feedback only when an error was made. Performance was measured on three separate occasions, before the training course (pre-training), one day after (post-training) and seven days after completing the course (retention) by executing the vertical jump in front of three gymnastic judges who scored their performance on a scale of 1 to 10. Jump kinematics were also measured pre-training and post-training by recording landing force and flight time on a force platform.

Results:
Post-hoc comparison indicated that a significant improvement in performance was observed only in the group receiving verbal feedback on errors (E). Judges’ scores received in post-training were significantly higher than those measured pre-training (10.3 %; p < 0.0003) and further increased to 14.4 % in the retention test (p < 0.0001). Judges’ scores for the groups receiving verbal feedback on errors and correctness (E&P) and only correctness (P) improved insignificantly.

Conclusions:
Providing too much verbal feedback when learning the vertical jump turned out to be less effective than providing limited verbal feedback only when errors were made.