Two experiments were conducted in an attempt to further the understanding of how
previously identified intrinsic constraints and perceptual factors interact in influencing
the learning and performance of various bimanual coordination patterns.
The purpose of Experiment 1 was to determine the influence of Lissajous feedback
on 1:1 bimanual coordination patterns (0°, 90°, 180° phase lags) when the movement
amplitudes of the two limbs were different. Participants coordinated rhythmic
movements of their forearms while being provided separate feedback for each limb (no-
Lissajous group) or integrated feedback (Lissajous group). Data from Experiment 1
supports the notion that the lead-lag relationship as well as amplitude assimilation
between limbs observed in the literature can be partially attributed to the visualperceptual
factors present in the testing environment. When participants are provided
integrated feedback in the form of Lissajous plots and templates much of the lead-lag
and amplitude assimilation effects were eliminated and relative phase error and
variability were also greatly reduced after only 3 min of practice under each condition.
Results from recent experiments suggest that when the salient visual information
(Lissajous feedback) is removed, performance in bimanual coordination tasks rapidly
deteriorates. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to determine if reducing the frequency of
feedback presentation will decrease the reliance on the feedback and will facilitate the
development of an internal representation that will improve performance when visual
feedback is removed. Participants receiving reduced frequency feedback presentation
were able to perform a delayed retention test with the feedback removed as well as the
test with feedback present. Data from Experiment 2 demonstrates that salient extrinsic
Lissajous feedback can effectively be combined with reduced frequency feedback
presentation in a way that performance levels, when tested without the availability of
feedback, match those obtained when tested in the presence of Lissajous feedback.
Taken together the present experiments add to the growing literature that supports
the notion that salient perceptual information can override some aspects of the system's
intrinsic dynamics typically linked to motor output control. The strong tendencies
toward the intrinsic dynamics found in numerous previous bimanual movement studies
and the difficulties in producing various coordination patterns may actually represent
detrimental effects attributable to the perceptual information available in the
environment and the attentional focus participants adopt. Given external integrated
salient visual information participants can essentially tune-in and learn difficult
bimanual coordination patterns with relatively little practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-05-7649 |
| Date | 2010 May 1900 |
| Creators | Kovacs, Attila J. |
| Contributors | Shea, Charles H. |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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