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The effect of proprioceptive feedback and delay interval on timing motor responses

University of British Columbia

The problem was to ascertain the effect of proprioceptive feedback developed from an initial movement; and the effect of time delay between the termination of the initial movement and the beginning of the following motor response on the temporal accuracy and consistency of that response. Thirty male Ss were randomly assigned, three to each of the ten experimental conditions composed of two levels of proprioceptive feedback (small and large) and five levels of time delay (0.3, 0.6, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 seconds). In the minimal proprioceptive feedback condition, the proprioceptive feedback was manipulated in the right index finger of the S by the press-release of a response-button whereas in the proprioceptive feedback condition, it was manipulated in the right arm of the S by a passively induced and consistent movement of that limb. Both, of these sources of proprioceptive feedback ended immediately prior to the beginning of the time delay interval. It was the task of the S to lift his left index finger from the response-button after the delay interval under which he was timing had elapsed. Each S was given 50 trials with knowledge of results (his exact response time in milliseconds) on each trial and with an intertrial interval of 30 seconds. The results of the analyses showed the following: one, that the Ss learned to time the motor response within the first ten trials under the influence of knowledge of results; two, that proprioceptive feedback had no effect on the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response; and last, that the time delay interval had a highly significant effect on the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response where the accuracy and consistency of the timing of the motor response appear to be similar power functions of the time delay interval.

Text

2011-03-22

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/32715

Physical Education

University of British Columbia

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