Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of target size on spatial and temporal characteristics of a pointing movement in man

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The effects of constraints related to movement accuracy on the spatial and temporal characteristics of pointing movements of the arm to a target were investigated. It was found that movement time increased, even at slow speeds, when target size decreased. Spatial variability of the trajectory of the index finger was also reduced, but only in proximity to the target, when higher accuracy was demanded while variability of motion at the wrist showed little change. The effect of varying the angular orientation of the target on the trajectories of the wrist and finger was also investigated. The data support the hypothesis that motion at the shoulder and elbow joints, which is closely linked, is determined primarily by target position while motion at the wrist joint, which is only loosely coupled to the motion at the more proximal joints, is related principally to the angular orientation of the target in space. The data also suggest that wrist motion is controlled separately from motion at the more proximal joints.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abend W, Bizzi E, Morasso P (1982) Human arm trajectory formation. Brain 105: 331–348

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benati M, Morasso P, Tagliasco V (1982) The inverse kinematic problem for anthropomorphic manipulator arms. J Biomech Eng 104: 110–113

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlton LG (1980) Movement control characteristics of aiming responses. Ergon 23: 1019–1032

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitts PM (1954) The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of the movement. J Exp Psychol 47: 381–391

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Georgopoulos AP, Kalaska JF, Massey JT (1981) Spatial trajectories and reaction times of aimed movements: effects of practice, uncertainty and change in target location. J Neurophysiol 46: 725–743

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghez C, Vicario D (1978) The control of rapid limb movement in the cat. II. Scaling of isometric force adjustments. Exp Brain Res 33: 191–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollerbach JM, Flash T (1982) Dynamic interactions between limb segments during planar arm movement. Biol Cybern 44: 67–77

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jagacinski RJ, Repperger DW, Moran MS, Ward SL, Glass B (1980) Fitts' Law and the microstructure of rapid discrete movements. J Exp Psychol Hum Perc Perf 6: 309–320

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacquaniti F, Soechting JF (1982) Coordination of arm and wrist motion during a reaching task. J Neurosci 2: 399–408

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacquaniti F, Soechting JF, Terzuolo CA (1982) Some factors pertinent to the organization and control of arm movements. Brain Res 252: 394–397

    Google Scholar 

  • Langolf GD, Chaffin DB, Foulke JA (1976) An investigation of Fitts' Law using a wide range of movement amplitudes. J Mot Behav 8: 113–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt RA, Zelaznik H, Hawkins B, Frank JS, Quinn JT (1979) Motor output variability: a theory for the accuracy of rapid motor acts. Psychol Rev 86: 415–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Soechting JF, Lacquaniti F (1981) Invariant characteristics of a pointing movement in man. J Neurosci 1: 710–720

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Terzuolo CA, Viviani P (1980) Determinants and characteristics of motor patterns used for typing. Neurosci 5: 1085–1103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wadman WJ, Denier van der Gon JJ, Derksen RJA (1980) Muscle activation patterns for fast goal-directed arm movements. J Hum Movt Stud 6: 19–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodworth RS (1899) The accuracy of voluntary movement. Psychol Rev Monograph Suppl, No 13

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Soechting, J.F. Effect of target size on spatial and temporal characteristics of a pointing movement in man. Exp Brain Res 54, 121–132 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235824

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00235824

Key words

Navigation