The ideomotor principle and motor sequence acquisition: tone effects facilitate movement chunking

Participants practiced short sequences of key presses; sequence length and response-effect mapping were the independent variables. Contingent, distinct key-effect relations were contrasted with either contingent but uniform or no response effects. In Experiment 1, tone effects were relevant as response-specific stimuli and also as effects. The sequence length effect for the tones group was reduced. In Experiment 2, participants were informed about the sequences to be executed and then given varying amounts of preparation time before the start signal. A reduction in the sequence length effect was observed, and initiation times and mean interresponse time (IRTs) were generally reduced in the tone group. Preparation time could compensate for some but not all of the latency reducing influence of the tone effects. The results are discussed with reference to ideomotor approaches to motor control, i.e., the notion that actions are represented in sensory format.