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The preparation of aiming movements
R G Carson1, R Chua, D Goodman
1Human Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Brain and Cognition
|July 1, 1995
Summary
A left hand advantage in aiming movement speed was observed when target information was ambiguous. This left-hand benefit disappeared with complete information or when accuracy, not speed, was prioritized.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Motor Control
- Experimental Psychology
Background:
- Handedness influences motor control and hemispheric specialization.
- Movement preparation involves complex cognitive and neural processes.
- Reaction time paradigms are crucial for understanding motor initiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of advance information on left and right hand aiming movement speed.
- To explore the role of the right hemisphere in motor preparation.
- To determine if accuracy-focused preparation negates observed hand advantages.
Main Methods:
- Subjects performed rapid aiming movements to visual targets using either their left or right hand.
- A precue protocol varied the amount of advance information about target location (complete, partial, or ambiguous).
- Reaction times were measured under simple and choice reaction time conditions, with emphasis on speed or accuracy.
Main Results:
- A significant left hand advantage for movement initiation speed was found when advance information was ambiguous.
- This left hand advantage was eliminated when complete information was provided.
- Emphasizing response accuracy and allowing online preparation in Experiment 3 removed the left hand advantage.
Conclusions:
- Ambiguous advance information facilitates a left hand advantage in motor preparation, potentially linked to right hemisphere function.
- The left hand advantage is dependent on the degree of movement preparation possible before the stimulus.
- Motor preparation strategies, influenced by accuracy demands, modulate interhemispheric contributions to movement control.