In which stage of motor learning can participants detect errors but may struggle to correct them?

The cognitive stage of motor learning is where individuals begin to understand and process the fundamental aspects of a skill, but their performance may be inconsistent. At this stage, participants are typically focused on learning the rules and mechanics of the movement, which includes recognizing and detecting errors that occur during practice. However, they may struggle with making the necessary adjustments to correct those errors due to a lack of experience and refined coordination.

During the cognitive stage, learners are still developing their motor systems and processing skills, making it difficult to implement corrections on the fly. As they progress further through the stages of motor learning, specifically into the associative stage, they become more adept at not only recognizing errors but also implementing corrective actions more efficiently. Thus, the cognitive stage is characterized by the initial awareness of mistakes without the sophisticated ability to alter performance effectively.