Enhanced Performance Stabilization Increases Performance Variability in a Virtual Interception Task

Abstract

Performing a motor task depends on the level of performance stabilization and movement control, and both aspects of motor behavior are related to motor learning (retention and transfer) and adaptation (predictable and unpredictable perturbations). Yet few studies have further investigated the underlying dynamics that may elicit these benefits. In this study, we investigated the effects of two levels of performance stabilization on motor performance and control while learning to intercept a virtual moving target. We randomly divided 40 participants of both sexes ( Mage = 26.02 years, SD = 2.02) into a Stabilization Group (SG) and a Superstabilization Group (SSG). We considered the performance stabilized when a moving target was intercepted three times in a row and superstabilized when the same criterion was repeated six times. We analyzed outcome variables related to performance accuracy (absolute spatial error) and variability(coefficient of variation) and motor control (relative time to peak velocity-tPV% and its coefficient of variation) on both the first and last blocks of practice trials. Both groups showed comparable increases in performance accuracy from the first to the last block ( p = .001, ηp2 = 1.00), but SSG presented higher variability than SG ( p = .05, ηp2 = .70). Concerning motor control, both groups started the experiment with low tPV% and finished with comparably high tPV% and variability. Thus, although practicing two levels of performance stabilization led to similar performance accuracy and movement control, superstabilization resulted in higher performance variability with no loss of accuracy. Enhanced stabilization may increase the ability to adapt to environmental changes, but more research is needed to demonstrate this. These findings add to an understanding of the relationship between levels of performance stabilization and performance variability and may have implications for professional interventions (e.g. sports, rehabilitation) in considering the benefits of practice beyond performance stabilization.

Effects of visual blur and contrast on spatial and temporal precision in manual interception

“…The current study was specifically designed to analyze the effect of manipulations of blur on interception performance in a task simulating a ball flight curve. Obviously, there is a vast number of other factors found to impact performance in interception, for instance, concerning properties of the task (cf., Bosco et al 2012 ; Brenner and Smeets 2009 ; Brouwer et al 2000 , 2005 ; Tresilian et al 2003 ; Tresilian and Houseman 2005 ) or participants’ characteristics (e.g., fatigue, Barte et al 2020 ; amount of stabilization, Couto et al 2020 ; sports experience, Yu and Liu 2020 ). While the investigation of interindividual differences was not part of the current study, some task-related factors (stimulus velocity, side, and occlusion time) were manipulated to produce variability.…”

“…Future research should focus on the impact of such task-related factors and the possible moderators of and interactions with blur. Furthermore, it might be advantageous to investigate interindividual differences in the temporal and spatial performance measures, as studies indicate that, for instance, sports experience (e.g., Yu and Liu 2020 ) and the amount of stabilization (learning, e.g., Couto et al 2020 ) might impact participants’ performance.…”

Executive Functions and Motor Adaptation to Predictable and Unpredictable Perturbations

“…In the first phase, participants practiced the task with a constant LED firing velocity (3150 ms) and a 1-2-3-4-5 sequence of touching sensors. A performance criterion was used for index skill acquisition (Coca-Ugrinowitsch et al, 2014; Couto et al, 2020; Santos et al, 2017), defined as three consecutive trials with an absolute error ≤30 ms. Given that learning speed differs among individuals, using a specific number of trials during the first phase would result in participants achieving different learning levels.…”

Extensive practice in motor learning: An overview and future directions

“…The general strategy of investigation involves assigning individuals to different groups defined by their amounts of practice or levels of performance stabilization of a given task. Stabilization refers to a state in which an individual has enough practice to consistently reach the goal of a task, named as the performance criterion of the task 11,12 . Of importance, although levels of stabilization are defined concerning results of movement execution, levels of performance stabilization are suggested to reflect levels of organization of systems' internal constraints 12 .…”

“…Since our focus is on the amount of practice, we will stick with the term extensive practice. In general, the extensive practice has led to higher performance variability during practice but better adaptation in tasks with different demands such as timing coincident 12,13 , isometric force control 15 , and interception of a virtual moving target 11 . Therefore, the effects of the extensive practice should not be ascribed to particularities of task constraints.…”