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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 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

Strategies When Choosing Between Movement Options in a Sequential Task.

Timothy N Welsh¹, Feng Lin¹, Joseph X Manzone¹

¹Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Journal of Motor Behavior

|May 31, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

When faced with sequential tasks, individuals prioritize actions with higher potential rewards. This study shows a preference for the maximum expected gain (MEG) first, guiding decision-making in sequential movement options.

Keywords:

action selection decision making individual differences precrastination

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Published on: December 5, 2025

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Motor Control
Decision Science

Background:

Previous research established that individuals select tasks with maximum expected gain (MEG) when choosing between two independent options.
The current study investigates decision-making when tasks are performed sequentially (Task-A THEN Task-B).

Purpose of the Study:

To determine if individuals prioritize the higher or lower MEG task when performing tasks sequentially.
To explore the influence of spatial properties and reward values on sequential task selection.

Main Methods:

Participants were presented with two target-penalty configurations varying in overlap and reward value.
Participants imagined performing sequential aiming movements to both configurations and indicated their preferred initial target.
Analysis focused on choices when MEGs differed and when they were similar.

Main Results:

When MEGs differed, participants predominantly chose to aim for the configuration with the higher MEG first.
When MEGs were similar, participants favored configurations with larger target regions (higher success probability) and greater penalties.
Some individual strategy variations were observed.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest a general strategy of performing tasks with higher potential gain before those with lower potential gain in sequential scenarios.
Decision-making in sequential tasks is influenced by both expected gain and spatial success probability.