Testing anxiety's effect on movement planning and correction: Online upper-limb corrections are not completely...

Area of Science:

• Motor Control
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Anxiety impacts motor control, potentially shifting strategies between offline planning and online correction.
• Understanding these shifts is crucial for optimizing performance under stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how heightened anxiety affects offline planning and online correction in upper-limb movements.
• To explore the roles of conscious processing and cognitive resources in anxiety-driven motor control adjustments.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments involving upper-limb target-directed aiming movements.
• Manipulation of task demands (voluntary vs. necessitated online correction) and cognitive resources.
• Assessment of movement-specific reinvestment propensity.

Main Results:

• Anxiety-induced shifts to offline control can be overridden when online correction is necessary.
• Conscious processing propensity positively predicts anxiety-induced shifts in motor control.
• Optimal online correction efficacy requires sufficient cognitive resources.

Conclusions:

• Existing definitions of online correction need revision in light of anxiety's effects.
• Both conscious processing and distraction mechanisms contribute to motor control strategies under anxiety.
• Cognitive resource availability is critical for effective online movement adjustments.