Programming of action timing cannot be completed until immediately prior to initiation of the response to be controlled
- PDF / 423,457 Bytes
- 12 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 81 Downloads / 178 Views
THEORETICAL REVIEW
Programming of action timing cannot be completed until immediately prior to initiation of the response to be controlled Stuart T. Klapp 1 & Dana Maslovat 2
# The Psychonomic Society, Inc. 2020
Abstract We consider, in depth, findings from across 6 decades regarding generating a motor response in a simple reaction-time (i.e., delayed response) paradigm. The early results robustly show a response complexity effect whereby the more response elements, the longer the simple reaction time (RT). This effect is puzzling because it indicates that preparation of some aspect of a response cannot be completed prior to the simple RT interval even though a precue had identified the response in advance. Results obtained during the past 10 years indicate that this finding reflects a restriction in advance preparation of the code that controls timing of the onsets for elements making up the response. This code cannot be prepared prior to the simple RT interval even though the parameters to be achieved by the response can be established earlier so that the difficulty of their selection does not influence RT. The general principle that emerges from these studies is that the abstract goal for a response can be determined in advance, but programming of action timing cannot be completed until immediately prior to initiation of the response to be controlled. We suggest that this restriction may arise because limitations in working memory prevent temporary storage of the timing code even though the abstract response goal can be stored until needed. Regardless of its origin, the limitation regarding preparation of response timing represents a fundamental feature in control of motor action. Keywords Motor control . Action timing . Response preparation . Response initiation . Simple reaction time . Cerebellum
A motor program is a “set of muscle commands that are structured before a movement sequence begins” (Keele, 1968, p. 387). Here, we consider evidence for postponement of generating the component of a motor program, which directly controls timing of onsets of the elements (chunks) of an action sequence. Although this aspect of programming can occur prior to the response, it is delayed until just before the response begins. This implies that the programed representation of temporal structure is volatile—once it is generated it must be used immediately. This limitation is a constraint that must
* Stuart T. Klapp [email protected] Dana Maslovat [email protected] 1
Department of Psychology, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA
2
School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, War Memorial Gymnasium 210-6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
be fulfilled by any viable theory of the manner in which timing is controlled. This conclusion involves a distinction that was not included in earlier analyses (e.g., Klapp, 1995, 1996). This distinction contrasts selection and planning of the abstract goals for the action, including specification of timing
Data Loading...
