Fitts' law in the discrete vs. cyclical paradigm

doi:10.1016/S0167-9457(96)00045-0

Human Movement Science

Volume 16, Issue 1, February 1997, Pages 97-131

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-9457(96)00045-0 Get rights and content

Abstract

Research on Fitts' law has focused on discrete movement and persistently ignored the continuous, cyclical case while adopting an exclusive information-processing approach to the neglect of the energetic dimension of movement. According to current computational accounts of Fitts' law, the slope of the speed-accuracy trade-off should be steeper in the cyclical task and discrete performance should surpass cyclical performance throughout the range of possible task difficulties. Data are reported that corroborate the former, but not the latter prediction. Discrete- cyclical performance equality (trade-offs intersection) was actually observed at a medium level of difficulty. This outcome, along with kinematic data which show a strong correlation between movement harmonicity and performance in the cyclical task, calls for a hybrid approach to Fitts' law combining information-processing and energy-saving considerations.

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Citation Excerpt :
As would be expected there was a general slowing of element duration as the ID was increased from ID 3 to ID 5 in the current experiment (Fig. 3a,b). This is consistent with a large literature on aiming movements and Fitts' law [19,33,37,38]. Also consistent with this literature was that the control processes for the higher ID condition were different from that of the lower ID condition [4,19,39,40].
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^∗: Professional address in 1997: MRC Applied Psychology Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 2EF, UK, Fax: + 44 1223 359062, Tel: +44 1223 355294, Ext. 335.

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Fitts' law in the discrete vs. cyclical paradigm

Abstract

Acta Psychologica

Acta Psychologica

Acta Psychologica

Journal of Theoretical Biology

A statistically precise and relatively simple method of estimating the bioassay with quantal responses, based on the logistic function

Journal of the American Statistical Association

Central and peripheral mechanisms in motor control

Behavioral efficiency: A biological link between informational and energetic processes

Inadequacies of the computer metaphor

Storage and utilization of elastic energy in skeletal muscles

Exercice and Sports Sciences Reviews

The information capacity of the human motor system in pursuit tracking

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Feedback control of hand movements and Fitts' law

Once more on the equilibrium-point hypothesis for motor control

Journal of Motor Behavior

The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement

Journal of Experimental Psychology

Information capacity of discrete motor responses

Journal of Experimental Psychology

Vibrations and waves

Human performance using computer input devices in the preferred and non-preferred hands

Attention and effort

Movement control in skilled motor performance

Psychological Bulletin