Knowledge of results, movement type, and sex in coincidence timing.

The experiment tested 24 subjects (12 men and 12 women) on a Bassin anticipation timing task with a light stimulus velocity of 3 mph. The first aim was to compare the effects of three different types of movement responses, a simple key press with a finger, an arm movement to a key press, and a whole-body movement culminating with a kick to strike a target. The expectation that sensorimotor integra tion of the movement responses would be reflected in the accuracy and consistency of anticipation timing was supported by the results which showed that the key-press task was superior to either the arm or whole-body movement responses. This finding emphasises the role movement variables have in defining situational constraints and indicate that proficiency in coincidence anticipation appears to be influenced by the planning and organisation required for movement execution. The second aim was to examine the question of whether verbal knowledge of results was redundant. Analysis showed that verbal knowledge of results was redundant under all movement conditions. Further research is needed to identify conditions in which the visual system does not provide the motor control system with adequate information for appropriate execution of movement. An evaluation of sex differences in performance and learning comprised the third aim. That men were significantly more accurate and more consistent was in accord with previous evidence. Women might have a more conservative approach to responding than men. Effects of repeated practice, an inherent part of these studies, supported the principle that effective learning accrues from repeatedly solving the coincidence-timing problem. It was concluded that further investigation of movement variables is needed to develop understanding of how they are coupled with perceptual variables in coincidence-timing contexts.

Coincidence timing of finger, arm, and whole body movements.

Two experiments investigated the effects of different types of movement responses on coincidence timing skill. The view was taken that the sensory-motor integration of the movement responses would be reflected in the accuracy and consistency of anticipation timing. A Bassin anticipation timer provided a light stimulus velocity of 3 mph for both experiments and the movements studied included a simple key press using a finger, an arm movement to a key press, and whole body movements culminating with a kick or step to a target. The experiments were modelled closely on the seminal study by Grose (1967). The results of Exp. 1 supported our prediction by demonstrating superiority of the finger task over the two larger movements for all measures of coincidence timing ability. The purpose of Exp. 2 was to compare the slightly different versions of the whole body task-that used in the first experiment and that used by Grose (1967). The results confirmed the close similarity of the two movement tasks and re-affirmed the results of Exp. 1. Exp. 2 also investigated sex effects on coincidence timing ability and, in contrast to previous evidence indicating that females perform with less accuracy and consistency than do males, no significant differences were found. Analysis of practice effects showed that, although there were no significant improvements over trial blocks in Exp. 1, there were significant improvements in Exp. 2. Comparisons with other research suggests that repeated practice in solving a coincident timing problem using whole body movements can lead to improved performance. In general, the findings are consistent with the constructs of action theory and emphasize the roles perceptual and movement variables have in defining situational constraints. Also, findings indicate that proficiency in coincidence anticipation appears to be influenced by the planning and organisation required for movement execution.