The motor programming specification process was analyzed in the present study. More specifically, determined was the order for prescribing or assigning response parameters: (a) hands-index fingers and (b) movement directions (up and down). Two viable specification hypotheses, variable order and fixed order, were tested with a movement precuing letter discrimination paradigm. Presentation of the letter stimuli varied according to name ("C" or "H") and size (uppercase or lowercase) characteristics. By varying the assignment of letters to the response parameters, four letter conditions were manipulated: (1) same name-hand, (2) same name-direction, (3) same size-hand, and (4) same size-direction. / Subjects performed 69 trials in each of three consecutive test sessions. The dependent measures were RT and percentage of errors. Trials were blocked across foreperiods (300, 500, and 700 msec) and analyzed in a 4 x 3 x 3 (Letter Conditions x Test Sessions x Foreperiods) ANOVA with repeated measures on the last two factors. Significant letter conditions and test sessions main effects were found. As indicated by Newman-Keuls procedures, subjects in the same name-hand condition demonstrated faster mean RTs than those in the other conditions. RTs significantly decreased across the test sessions. Similar results were found in the error rate analyses. These findings are consistent with previous results (Miller, 1982, 1983) and lend support to the fixed order hypothesis. The evidence showed that RTs were facilitated when preliminary letter name information was used to efficiently prepare (prime) the specific response hand-finger. The results indicated that the specification of the hand-finger parameter occurs prior to the specification of movement direction. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-08, Section: B, page: 2715. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75365 |
| Contributors | CAURAUGH, JAMES H., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 123 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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