Function & Prep for Action
Law of human performance stating that RT will increase logarithmically as the number of stimulus-response choices increases
Hick's Law
Easterbrook’s Cue Utilization Theory states that as individuals get over-aroused for a skill, what happens?
Attention is limited; Once over-aroused, individuals miss task-relevant cues for optimal performance or switch their attention to mostly task irrelevant cues which results in poorer performance
Name 2 main types of
memory & their
subcomponents
1. Working memory
a. (phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, central executive)
2. Long-term memory
a. declarative
b. procedural
(semantic + episodic)
What test measures learning in
which a person performs a skill that
is different from the skill they
practiced or performs that skill in a
different situation or context from
practice?
Transfer Test
How are changes in movement
coordination made within in
the motor control system?
(This is asking about a certain
problem that must be solved
and how)
By freezing degrees of freedom
1. Below is an example of which task characteristic that influences movement preparation time? (controls of a stove top)
2. How does it affect RT?
1. Stimulus-Response Compatibility
2. If stimulus-response is compatible, RT decreases and if incompatible RT increases
Kahneman’s attention theory
proposed which factor
influences how we
involuntarily switch our
attention?
Momentary intentions
1. Working memory has ____ Capacity and ____ Duration
2. What is the encoding specificity principle?
1. Capacity: 7 items +/- 2
Duration: 20-30 seconds
2. Memory principle that states memory test performance is directly related to the amount of similarity b/w practice and test conditions
Name the six characteristics of learning
1. Improvement
2. Consistency
3. Stability
4. Persistence
5. Adaptability
6. Reduced Attention Demands
What are the two
causes of bilateral
transfer?
1. Cognitive explanation: no need to relearn cognitive components of the skill
2. Motor control explanation: Practicing the skill w/ 1 limb creates a GMP OR creates an abstract representation of the skill
1. What is the psychological refractory period?
2. What is the index of difficulty/ID?
1. Delay period after an event during which another event can't take place
2. ID = measure of the difficulty of performing a skill involving both speed and accuracy; predicts as the target gets smaller, speed will decrease to allow for accuracy
1. Which type of attention theory stipulates that we have different sources of attentional resources that allow us to complete tasks simultaneously if they don’t compete for the same source?
2. Which type of theory indicates that there is a one capacity source for attention? List 2 examples.
1. Multiple Resource Capacity
2. Central Resource Capacity (Inverted U; Hull's Drive Theory; Easterbrook's Cue Utilization)
1. Which memory handles the “what”?
2. Which memory handles the “how” to do
things?
3. Which memory handles personal
experiences?
4. Which memory is most likely to fail?
1. Semantic
2. Procedural
3. Episodic
4. Episodic
What is the test of a practiced
skill that the learner performs
following an interval of time
after practice has stopped
called?
Retention Test
What is the term for Time to Contact?
What is the minimum amount of time
needed to respond appropriately?
1. TAU
2. 100 to 160 msec
- predictive function
- perceptual variable related to time to contact b/w an object and person's eye
- perception-action coupling (eye-hand; eye-foot spatial & temporal coordination)
Describe the parts of prehension & which system they operate under & the sensory components.
1. Transport (open loop)
2. Grasp (closed loop; vision, tactile, & proprioception info)
3. Manipulation (closed loop; vision, tactile, & proprioception info)
1. What shape is used to compare the optimal performance level to the
optimal arousal level?
2. Provide 2 skills with 2 different optimal arousal levels for optimal
performance
1. Inverted U
2. Playing "row row row your boat" on the piano at home (curve is shifted right; increased arousal for optimal performance)
Playing orchestral concert at Bass concert hall (curve shifts left; lower arousal level needed to be successful for performance)
Compare and contrast working
memory with long-term memory
provide differences in function,
duration, and capacity
Working memory: memory associated w/ sensory, perceptual, attentional and short-term memory processes; right now memory; 20-30 seconds; 7 (+/- 2) items
Long-term: permanent storage repository; unknown duration; unlimited capacity
1. What can be used to observe
performance improvement and
consistency over a period of time?
2. Name the four types.
1. Performance curves
2. Linear, Negatively accelerated, Positively accelerated, Oglive or S-shaped
What performer
characteristic DOES NOT
change across the stages of
learning?
Reliance on Sensory Information
Name 5 of the 9 task and situation characteristics that influence time required for action preparation.
1. Number of choices
2. Predictability of correct movement
3. Probability of precue
4. Correctness (anticipation)
5. Degree of Stimulus-Response compatibility
6. Regularity of RT foreperiod length
7. Movement complexity
8. Movement accuracy demands
9. Repetition
10. Amount of time between different responses
1. What is the name of the hypothesis which says focus on intended effect (goal) rather than on movement pattern?
2. What is the term for the perf. of a skill conducted with little demand for attention?
3. What are the 3 characteristics of attention?
3. Alertness, Limited Capacity, Selective
1. Name and describe 3 types of
forgetting.
2. Which type of memory to they
effect?
Trace Decay: Forgetting due to the passing of time
(Working memory)
Proactive Interference: Forget because activity that
occurs prior to the presentation of information to be
remembered (Working and Long-term Memory)
Retroactive Interference: Forget because of activity
occurring during the retention interval (Working and
Long-term Memory)
Dual-Task procedure measures
which performance
characteristics while
movement coordination
patterns measure these
characteristics
Dual-task: attention reduction
Movement Coordination patterns: Consistency and Stability
Name 5 performer and
performance changes that
occur as an individual
progresses through the
learning stages
1. Rate of improvement
2. Movement coordination
3. Complexity of control
4. Altering an old or preferred coordination
5. Muscles involved
6. Energy cost/movement efficiency
7. Visual selective attention
8. Conscious attention
9. Error detection and attention
10. Brain activity