01:377:310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Paul Fitts, Functional Skills Qualification, Motor Control
Document Summary
Concept: specific characteristics of the performance of various motor skills provide the basis for much of out understanding of motor control. When both speed and accuracy are essential to perform the skill, this is called speed-accuracy trade-off i. e. when speed is emphasized, accuracy is reduced and vice-versa. What are some examples of motor skills that require both speed and accuracy. Paul fitts (1954) showed we could mathematically predict movement time (mt) for speed-accuracy skills. If we know the spatial dimensions of 2 variables: Also demonstrated that an index of difficulty could be calculated based on the equation : log2 (2d/w) Fasted speed --> largest, slowest speed --> smallest. Research has demonstrated that fitts" law predicts mt for various non-laboratory motor skills, e. g. , General agreement that two motor control processes involved in performance of speed-accuracy skills: Initial movement instructions sufficient to move limb to the vicinity of. Initial movement instructions sufficient to move limb to the vicinity of target.