Spatial assimilation effects in sequential movements: effects of parameter value switching and practice organization.

Full Abstract

In Experiment 1, the author extended earlier work by investigating spatial assimilations in sequential aiming movements when participants were able to preplan only the 1st movement of a 2-movement sequence. Right-handed participants (N = 20) aged 18-22 years tried unimanual rapid lever reversals of 20 degrees and 60 degrees with an intermovement interval of 2.5 s. Following the 1st movement, participants made a same-distance movement, different-distance movement, or no movement in a randomly determined order. Participants overshot the short-distance target and undershot the long-distance target for both movements in the sequence, but the errors were greater when the 2nd movement differed from the 1st one. In Experiment 2, right-handed participants (N = 20) demonstrated greater assimilation effects after random practice than after blocked practice of both same-distances (20 degrees -20 degrees and 60 degrees -60 degrees ) and different-distances (20 degrees -60 degrees and 60 degrees -20 degrees ) sequences, although spatial errors were greater in different-distances conditions than in same-distances conditions. Overall, the experiments showed that parameter-value switching and practice organization are 2 major sources of spatial inaccuracy in sequential aiming movements.

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Author information

Author/s: Sherwood, David E (DE);

Affiliation: Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309-0354, USA. Sherwood(-atsign-)Colorado.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of motor behavior (J Mot Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-May; vol 40 (issue 3) : pp 232-45

Dates: Created 2008/05/14; Completed 2008/07/01;

PMID: 18477536, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Female
Humans
Intention
Male
Movement - physiology
Orientation - physiology

Orientation - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Physiological - physiology
Practice (Psychology)
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reference Values
Serial Learning - physiology
Set (Psychology)
Spatial Behavior - physiology
Time Factors

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