Related Experiment Videos
Timing variability in circle drawing and tapping: probing the relationship between event and emergent timing
Howard N Zelaznik1, Rebecca M C Spencer, Richard B Ivry
1Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, Lambert, 800 West Stadium Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. hnzelaz@purdue.edu
Journal of Motor Behavior
|August 27, 2005
Summary
Movement timing transitions rapidly from externally controlled event timing to internally generated emergent timing within the first few movement cycles. This transformation occurs quickly during continuous actions like drawing or tapping.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Human movement science
- Cognitive neuroscience
Background:
- A distinction exists between event timing (temporal goal is explicit) and emergent timing (timing is an outcome).
- The transformation hypothesis suggests initial external control shifts to emergent timing over movement cycles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how timing control transitions in conditions favoring emergent timing.
- To test the transformation hypothesis regarding the development of emergent timing.
Main Methods:
- 84 participants performed timed intervals (1, 4, or 2 with a pause) using circle drawing (emergent timing) or tapping (event timing).
- Movement variability was analyzed to compare timing processes across tasks and intervals.
Main Results:
- Similar timing processes were observed in both tasks only during the initial interval.
- Task-specific timing strategies diverged after the first interval.
Conclusions:
- Results support the transformation hypothesis, indicating a rapid shift from event-based to emergent timing.
- Continuous movements facilitate a quick transition to emergent timing control.