Details
Originalsprache | Englisch |
---|---|
Aufsatznummer | 41 |
Fachzeitschrift | Frontiers in psychology |
Jahrgang | 10 |
Ausgabenummer | JAN |
Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - 28 Jan. 2019 |
Extern publiziert | Ja |
Abstract
The processes underlying motor decision-making have recently caught considerable amount of scientific attention, focusing on the integration of empirical evidence from sensorimotor control research with psychological theories and computational models on decision-making. Empirical studies on motor decision-making suggest that the kinematics of goal-directed reaching movements are sensitive to the level of target uncertainty during movement planning. However, the source of uncertainty as a relevant factor influencing the process of motor decision-making has not been sufficiently considered, yet. In this study, we test the assumption that the source of target uncertainty has an effect on motor decision-making, which can be proven by analyzing movement variability during the time course of movement execution. Ten healthy young adults performed three blocks with 66 trials of goal-directed reaching movements in each block, across which the source and level of reach target uncertainty at movement onset were manipulated ("no uncertainty", "extrinsic uncertainty", and "intrinsic uncertainty"). Fingertip position of the right index finger was recorded using an optical motion tracking system. Standard kinematic measures (i.e., path length and movement duration) as well as variability of fingertip position across the time course of movement execution and at movement end were analyzed. In line with previous studies, we found that a high level of extrinsic target uncertainty leads to increased overall movement duration, which could be attributed to increased path length in this condition, as compared to intrinsic and no target uncertainty (all p < 0.001). Movement duration and path length did not show any differences between the latter two conditions. However, the time course analysis of movement variability revealed significant differences between these two conditions, with increased variability of fingertip position in the presence of intrinsic target uncertainty (Condition × Sampling point: p = 0.01), though considerably less than under high extrinsic target uncertainty (p ≤ 0.001). These findings suggest that both the level and source of uncertainty have a significant effect on the processing of potential action plans during motor decision-making, which can be revealed through the analysis of the time course of movement variability at the end-effector level.
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Psychologie (insg.)
- Allgemeine Psychologie
Zitieren
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTex
- RIS
in: Frontiers in psychology, Jahrgang 10, Nr. JAN, 41, 28.01.2019.
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Forschung › Peer-Review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Target uncertainty during motor decision-making
T2 - The time course of movement variability reveals the effect of different sources of uncertainty on the control of reaching movements
AU - Krüger, Melanie
AU - Hermsdörfer, Joachim
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Krüger and Hermsdörfer.
PY - 2019/1/28
Y1 - 2019/1/28
N2 - The processes underlying motor decision-making have recently caught considerable amount of scientific attention, focusing on the integration of empirical evidence from sensorimotor control research with psychological theories and computational models on decision-making. Empirical studies on motor decision-making suggest that the kinematics of goal-directed reaching movements are sensitive to the level of target uncertainty during movement planning. However, the source of uncertainty as a relevant factor influencing the process of motor decision-making has not been sufficiently considered, yet. In this study, we test the assumption that the source of target uncertainty has an effect on motor decision-making, which can be proven by analyzing movement variability during the time course of movement execution. Ten healthy young adults performed three blocks with 66 trials of goal-directed reaching movements in each block, across which the source and level of reach target uncertainty at movement onset were manipulated ("no uncertainty", "extrinsic uncertainty", and "intrinsic uncertainty"). Fingertip position of the right index finger was recorded using an optical motion tracking system. Standard kinematic measures (i.e., path length and movement duration) as well as variability of fingertip position across the time course of movement execution and at movement end were analyzed. In line with previous studies, we found that a high level of extrinsic target uncertainty leads to increased overall movement duration, which could be attributed to increased path length in this condition, as compared to intrinsic and no target uncertainty (all p < 0.001). Movement duration and path length did not show any differences between the latter two conditions. However, the time course analysis of movement variability revealed significant differences between these two conditions, with increased variability of fingertip position in the presence of intrinsic target uncertainty (Condition × Sampling point: p = 0.01), though considerably less than under high extrinsic target uncertainty (p ≤ 0.001). These findings suggest that both the level and source of uncertainty have a significant effect on the processing of potential action plans during motor decision-making, which can be revealed through the analysis of the time course of movement variability at the end-effector level.
AB - The processes underlying motor decision-making have recently caught considerable amount of scientific attention, focusing on the integration of empirical evidence from sensorimotor control research with psychological theories and computational models on decision-making. Empirical studies on motor decision-making suggest that the kinematics of goal-directed reaching movements are sensitive to the level of target uncertainty during movement planning. However, the source of uncertainty as a relevant factor influencing the process of motor decision-making has not been sufficiently considered, yet. In this study, we test the assumption that the source of target uncertainty has an effect on motor decision-making, which can be proven by analyzing movement variability during the time course of movement execution. Ten healthy young adults performed three blocks with 66 trials of goal-directed reaching movements in each block, across which the source and level of reach target uncertainty at movement onset were manipulated ("no uncertainty", "extrinsic uncertainty", and "intrinsic uncertainty"). Fingertip position of the right index finger was recorded using an optical motion tracking system. Standard kinematic measures (i.e., path length and movement duration) as well as variability of fingertip position across the time course of movement execution and at movement end were analyzed. In line with previous studies, we found that a high level of extrinsic target uncertainty leads to increased overall movement duration, which could be attributed to increased path length in this condition, as compared to intrinsic and no target uncertainty (all p < 0.001). Movement duration and path length did not show any differences between the latter two conditions. However, the time course analysis of movement variability revealed significant differences between these two conditions, with increased variability of fingertip position in the presence of intrinsic target uncertainty (Condition × Sampling point: p = 0.01), though considerably less than under high extrinsic target uncertainty (p ≤ 0.001). These findings suggest that both the level and source of uncertainty have a significant effect on the processing of potential action plans during motor decision-making, which can be revealed through the analysis of the time course of movement variability at the end-effector level.
KW - Embodied decision making
KW - Kinematics
KW - Motor control
KW - Movement planning
KW - Reaching movements
KW - Sensorimotor control
KW - Time course of variability
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061027500&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00041
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00041
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061027500
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in psychology
JF - Frontiers in psychology
SN - 1664-1078
IS - JAN
M1 - 41
ER -