The transfer describing the present's effect on prior performance is which?

• A. Retroactive transfer
• B. Positive transfer
• C. Negative transfer
• D. Bilateral transfer

Answer: (A)

The idea is about how what you learn now can affect how you perform something you learned earlier. When you take on a new skill or method and it changes the way you execute or recall an earlier one, that’s retroactive transfer. In practice, the new practice can interfere with or alter the execution of the previously learned task, making it harder to perform as you did before. For example, a climber who learns a new hand grip may find their previous grip technique feels awkward or less effective until they adjust. This is different from proactive transfer, where earlier learning helps with new tasks, and from positive/negative transfer, which describe whether the overall effect helps or hinders performance, not specifically which is affecting which. Bilateral transfer, meanwhile, concerns transferring skills from one limb to another.