FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)The Teaching Process and MethodsMedium
A flight instructor requires a student to perform the pre-landing checklist the same correct way, in the same sequence, on every flight from the very first lesson. By the tenth lesson, the student performs the checklist automatically without conscious thought. This outcome best illustrates which principle of learning?
- AExtinction of an undesirable response
- BLaw of primacy applied to negative learning
- CLaw of exercise
- DHabit formation through consistent repetition of correct procedure
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Habit formation through consistent repetition of correct procedure
Habits are formed through the consistent repetition of a correct response, eventually becoming an automatic behavior performed with little conscious effort. Because the instructor enforced the same correct sequence from the start, the student developed a reliable, correct habit pattern.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Extinction refers to a response fading due to lack of reinforcement, not habit formation.
- B. Primacy concerns first learning experiences, not the automaticity described here, and there's no negative learning involved.
- C. The law of exercise (practice strengthens learning) is related but doesn't specifically describe automaticity of habit.
Habit Formation
The process by which repeated correct practice of a skill or procedure becomes an automatic, consistent response requiring little conscious thought.
- Habits form through consistent repetition of the same correct action
- Correct habits should be established from the first attempt (primacy)
- Habits are hard to break once formed, making early correctness critical
Memory trick: Repeat it right, and it becomes automatic flight