Which describes the Associative Stage in Fitts and Posner's model?

• A. Freezing the limbs
• B. Relying less on cues, refining movements by trial and error and feedback
• C. Beginner with lots of errors
• D. Performing skills independently

Answer: (B)

In the associative stage, the movement is being refined after the basics are learned. Learners rely less on external cues and use feedback to improve through trial and error. Practice begins to yield smoother, more consistent performances with fewer errors as they fine-tune timing, sequencing, and coordination. They can detect and correct errors with less deliberate thought, moving toward automaticity.

This fits why the option about relying less on cues and using trial-and-error feedback to refine the movement is the best choice. Other descriptions don’t capture that refinement through feedback and reduced cue dependence characteristic of this stage: freezing the limbs describes a coordination constraint more typical of early attempts at movement; a beginner with lots of errors aligns with the cognitive stage; performing skills independently points toward the autonomous stage, where execution is automatic and highly automatic rather than the refinement focus of the associative stage.