The Planning of Precision Movements

Abstract

Two experiments are reported in which subjects were required to make rapid aiming movements to targets of various sizes. Probe reaction time (RT) procedures were used to investigate the preparation of the response to the target. It was proposed that if the precision of movement was planned in advance, this would be reflected by the lengthening of RTs to probes presented during the latency phase of the response. The more precise the movement (to smaller targets) the longer will be the delays to the probes. The results generally supported the prediction and the probe RTs were correlated with target size. There was also some evidence that the probe was lengthening during the movement and in the region of the target.

Measurement of functional task difficulty during motor learning: What level of difficulty corresponds to the optimal challenge point?

“…Attentional demands can be measured using various indices, including behavioral, physiological, and subjective indices. In particular, a dual-task procedure is a behavioral index that has previously been used in many studies examining the amount of information available for the performance of a variety of perceptual motor tasks (Abernethy, 1988;Ells, 1973;Glencross & Gould, 1979;Kerr, 1975). Probe reaction time is a method that is very commonly used to measure attentional demands during the execution of a motor task in the dual-task procedure (Li & Wright, 2000;Salmoni, Sullivan, & Starkes, 1976).…”

Changes in Practice Schedule and Functional Task Difficulty: a Study Using the Probe Reaction Time Technique

“…A dual task procedure has been used in many previous studies in order to examine the amount of attention available for performance of a task across a range of perceptual motor tasks12,13,14 ) . Especially, the probe reaction time (PRT) is a method commonly used for attentional demand measurement during execution of motor tasks15 ) .…”

Reaction times of normal subjects and amputees with below-knee and above-knee prostheses during stepping

“…Recently there have been a number of attempts to measure attentional demand of movement using the probe reaction time (RT) procedure, in which the assumption is that the lengthening of RT reflects the attentional demand of the movement (Ells 1973, Kerr 1975, Glencross and Gould 1979, McLeod 1980. Glencross (1980) suggested that this procedure would be used to investigate some issues of motor control, for instance, at various stages of skill acquisition, in the comparison of skilled and unskilled operators, and in the direct comparison of tasks.…”