Disentangling stability, variability and adaptability in human performance: focus on the interplay between local...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Dynamical Systems Theory
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Psychological systems exhibit complex relationships between stability, variability, and adaptability.
• Global variance in serial performance can be decomposed into local variance (LV) and serial correlation structure.
• Long-range correlations (1/f β noise) can increase global variance when local variance is constant.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the hypothesis that a co-adjustment between local variance and serial correlations serves as an adaptive resource.
• To determine if this co-adjustment is crucial for functioning under critical conditions where outcome variance must be limited.

Main Methods:

• Decomposition of global variance into local variance and serial correlation structure.
• Analysis of bimanual coordination dynamics at comfortable (stable) and critical (phase transition) frequencies.
• Examination of the relationship between theoretical stability of coordination modes and the emergence of negative correlations.

Main Results:

• A negative correlation between local variance and serial correlations emerged as coordination mode stability decreased.
• This negative correlation became significant specifically in the critical condition (near phase transition).
• The findings indicate that increased global variance due to long-range correlations can be counteracted by this emergent co-adjustment.

Conclusions:

• The emergence of a mutual adjustment between local variance and serial correlations is proposed as an indicator of effective behavioral adaptation.
• This co-adjustment mechanism may be vital for maintaining stable behavior in psychological systems, particularly under demanding or critical circumstances.