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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

Published on: May 3, 2018

The role of timing in motor program representation.

¹a Department of Psychology , University of Oregon.

Journal of Motor Behavior

|August 23, 2013

Summary

Motor programs, which control sequential skills, integrate timing and sequencing. Even when not required, learned temporal structures influence performance, indicating timing is key to motor program representation.

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Motor Control
Human Performance

Background:

Motor programs are memory representations governing sequential motor skills.
Understanding the relationship between timing and sequencing in motor programs is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the integration of timing and sequencing within motor program representations.
To determine how learned temporal structures influence skill execution.

Main Methods:

Four groups practiced key-pressing sequences with varied temporal structures.
Participants executed learned sequences from memory under speed instructions.

Main Results:

Sequence execution was significantly influenced by the acquired temporal structure, despite speed instructions.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task

Published on: May 3, 2018

A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli

A Method for Evaluating Timeliness and Accuracy of Volitional Motor Responses to Vibrotactile Stimuli

Published on: August 2, 2016

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

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The overall temporal organization was maintained even when not explicitly required.

Conclusions:

Relative timing of events is an integral component of motor program representation.
This integration is particularly evident in motor skills with rhythmic timing structures.