Movement time and velocity as determinants of movement timing accuracy

Three experiments investigated the effect of movement time (MT) and movement velocity on the accuracy and initiation of linear timing movements. MTs of 100, 200, 500, 600, and 1000 msec were examined over various distances; timing accuracy decreased with longer MTs and slower average velocities. The velocity effect was independent of MT and occurred when the velocities were above and below about 15 cm/sec. Self-paced initiation times to movement increased directly with MT and inversely as a function of movement velocity. The latency data complement the MT findings in suggesting that average velocity is a key parameter in the initiation and control of discrete timing movements and, that there is some lower velocity below which movement control breaks down.