The Effects of Local Exertion and Anticipation on the Performance of a Discrete Skill.
Abstract
A ballistic cranking task was used to study the relationship between local exertion and anticipation on performance. The move was cued by a light sequence similar to a dragstrip start. A subject could predict the move using temporal and spatial cues in the four-light sequence. The sequence was fast or slow and indicated the move would start to the left or right. Twenty percent of the time the lights switched to the opposite row during the sequence. A subject performed this skill after interpolated arm ergometry of 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% of his arm strength. Dependent measures were absolute error (AE) and constant error (CE) for response timing; error rate; and movement time. Results revealed Precue Speed x Stimulus Continuity interactions for AE, CE, and error rate. Switched-fast trials produced less accurate timing and more errors. Precue Speed caused subjects to respond early for slow sequences and late for fast. Exertion produced only a strong downward trend for movement time. A major finding was that local exertion did not interact with anticipatory variables. The effects of exertion were confined to local physiological processes and did not influence cognitive functions. Additionally, there was no support for an inverted U relationship between exertion and performance. Another important result was that the switched-fast condition produced substantial performance decrements. This was attributed to difficulties the information processing system had when it attempted to modify an anticipated response. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA170679
Entities
People
- Bruce Jaeger
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology