Interference between concurrent speaking and sequential finger tapping: both hands show a performance decrement under...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Motor Control

Background:

• Concurrent speaking is known to interfere with motor tasks.
• Previous research suggested this interference is specific to non-visual guidance for the dominant hand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To replicate and extend previous findings on the effects of concurrent speaking on sequential finger tapping.
• To investigate the influence of visual guidance on speech-related motor interference.
• To examine potential differences in interference between the right and left hands.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed sequential finger tapping tasks with both right and left hands.
• Tasks were performed under both visual and non-visual guidance conditions.
• Participants concurrently spoke rhyme and prose passages during the tapping tasks.

Main Results:

• Concurrent speaking reduced sequential finger tapping performance for both hands under both visual and non-visual guidance.
• The performance reduction was slightly greater for the right hand compared to the left hand.
• The findings indicate a broader interference effect of concurrent speaking than previously reported.

Conclusions:

• Concurrent speaking interferes with sequential finger tapping regardless of visual guidance.
• Temporal constraints imposed by concurrent speech production likely underlie the observed motor interference.
• The right hand may be more susceptible to speech-related motor interference, though both hands are affected.