01:377:310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Paul Fitts, Functional Skills Qualification, Motor Control
3 Jan 2018
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Document Summary
Performance and motor control characteristics of functional skills. Concept: specific characteristics of the performance of various motor skills provide the basis for much of understanding of motor control. When both speed and accuracy are essential to perform the skill, this is called speed- accuracy trade- off ie; when speed is emphasized, accuracy is reduced and vice- versa. Paul fitts (1954) showed we could mathematically predict movement time (mt) for speed- accuracy skills. If we know the spatial dimensions of two variables: Mt= a + b log 2 (2d/w) Also demonstrated that an index of difficulty could be calculated based on this equation: log2 (2d/w) Research has demonstrated that fitts" law predicts mt for various non- laboratory motor skills, e. g. , Used in physical rehab assessment and training. Reaching and grasping containers of different sizes. Moving a cursor on a computer screen. General agreement that two motor control processes involved in performance of speed- accuracy skills:
