Question 1

The Index of Difficulty (ID)that can be derived from Fitts' law demonstrates that the same task can have various levels of difficulty and the same amount of:

Accepted Answer

The Index of Difficulty (ID) is determined by the size of the target and the distance to the target, which account for the complexity of the task. Therefore, the same task can have various levels of difficulty even if the movement speed, response choices, and performance variability are the same, as they do not affect the ID.

Question 2

A predominant view of gait control is that at the nervous system level,gait is controlled by central pattern ________.

Accepted Answer

generators

Question 3

The term used to describe a bimanual coordination task that requires the two hands to simultaneously perform movements that have the same spatial and temporal characteristics is ________.

Accepted Answer

symmetric

Question 4

Because we can write our signature relatively legibly with a pen held by either hand,either foot,or even by our teeth,researchers often describe handwriting as a good example of Bernstein's concept of motor:

Accepted Answer

Bernstein's concept of motor equivalence refers to the ability of the motor system to achieve the same outcome (e.g., writing one's signature) with different muscles or limbs. This concept explains how we can produce legible handwriting not just with our dominant hand, but also with the non-dominant hand, feet, or even teeth, by adapting the motor plan to use different effectors.

Question 5

When a person walks or runs,an essential goal of the motor control system is the maintenance of head _______.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When a person walks or runs,an essential...

Question 6

When you reach to grasp an object,which of the following describes when the fingers begin to close?

Accepted Answer

The fingers begin to close at a consistent percentage of the total movement time, indicating a proportionate relationship between the initiation of grip closure and the overall duration of the reaching movement. This consistency suggests that the timing of grip closure is scaled to the total movement time, allowing for a coordinated and efficient grasp.

Question 7

That a person can adapt their handwriting to different surfaces,sizes,forces,etc. ,is an example of what Bernstein referred to as motor ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of That a person can adapt their handwriting...

Question 8

The playing of a guitar is a good example of performing:

Accepted Answer

Playing a guitar involves using both hands in different ways, with the fretting hand doing more precise fingering movements while the strumming/picking hand provides a rhythmic backdrop. This makes it an asymmetric bimanual skill.

Question 9

One of the current views of how we control prehension is that the transport and grasp phases function:

Accepted Answer

The current view is that the transport and grasp phases of prehension are synergistic, meaning they work together to achieve the goal of grasping an object. This view suggests that the two phases are not performed independently as separate motor programs.

Question 10

The rhythmic structure of the movements involved in gait can be observed

Accepted Answer

The rhythmic structure of the movements involved in gait can be observed in both arm and leg movements. Gait involves the coordinated movements of both upper and lower limbs, and these movements follow a specific rhythmic pattern that can be observed and analyzed. Therefore, choice C is the best option.

Question 11

From the dynamical systems perspective,the tendency for the two arms to prefer to move in tight spatial and temporal synchrony is the result of:

Accepted Answer

The tendency for the two arms to move in synchronized motion is a result of an attractor, which is a stable state of the system towards which it tends to move. In this case, the attractor is the synchronized motion of the two arms, which is preferred over any other possible motion. This is a common phenomenon in dynamical systems, where certain patterns or states emerge as stable attractors due to the underlying dynamics of the system. The other options (A, B, D) do not fully capture the nature and mechanisms of this phenomenon. A single generalized motor program or two separate motor programs would not explain why the synchronized motion is preferred over other possible motions, and motor equivalence refers to the ability to produce the same movement outcome through different motor strategies or effector systems, which is not directly relevant to the issue of synchronization.

Question 12

In a two-hand aiming task in which the right hand must move to a target that has an ID of 4,and the left hand must simultaneously move to a target that has an ID of 2,when will each hand arrive at the target?

Accepted Answer

The Fitts' Law equation predicts that movement time is proportional to the logarithm of the movement distance divided by the target width (MT = a + b log2(2D/W)). Since both targets have equal width and one target has twice the distance of the other, the movement time for both hands will be similar, resulting in the two hands arriving at approximately the same time.

Question 13

Consider the following two prehension situations: a person reaches to pick up a cup to: (a)drink from it; (b)move it to a different location on the table.The kinematic characteristics of the transport phase for these two situations would:

Accepted Answer

The kinematic characteristics of the transport phase would be different for these two situations. When reaching to drink from the cup, the transport phase would likely have a smooth trajectory with a constant speed, while when moving the cup to a different location on the table, the transport phase may have a less smooth trajectory with more rapid changes in speed due to adjustments for spatial accuracy.

Question 14

Fitts' Law specifies that performance will show a speed-accuracy trade-off in a rapid manual aiming task according to the relationship between which two characteristics of the task?

Accepted Answer

Fitts' Law relates the task difficulty of a rapid manual aiming task to the ratio of the distance to be moved and the size of the target. This means that the greater the distance to be moved, or the smaller the target, the more difficult the task and the longer it will take to complete. Therefore, there is a speed-accuracy trade-off, as the participant must balance their movement speed with their accuracy to complete the task as quickly and accurately as possible.

Question 15

When participants cannot see their hands during catching they typically make:

Accepted Answer

When participants cannot see their hands, they typically make hand positioning errors because visual feedback is crucial for accurately positioning the hands to catch an object.

Question 16

The three phases of prehension are called the transport phase,the grasp phase,and the ________ phase.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The three phases of prehension are called...

Question 17

Fitts' Law predicts movement speed based on specific accuracy requirements in a task.

Accepted Answer

Fitts' Law is a predictive model that describes the relationship between the speed and accuracy of human movements. It states that the time required to rapidly move to a target area is a function of the distance to the target and the size of the target. This can be used to predict movement speed based on specific accuracy requirements in a task.

Question 18

Which of the following statements reflects the appropriate view of the spatial and temporal control underlying the performance of an asymmetric bimanual action?

Accepted Answer

The two arms prefer to move together as one unit, reflecting a natural tendency for the limbs to coordinate movements in a synchronized manner, especially when performing complex or asymmetric bimanual actions. This coordination is crucial for efficiency and effectiveness in tasks requiring both hands to work together, despite the differences in the specific actions each hand may be performing.

Question 19

Research with highly skilled long jumpers reveals that the jumpers:

Accepted Answer

Highly skilled long jumpers often show large inconsistencies in their last few strides before takeoff as they adjust their steps to ensure they hit the takeoff board accurately.

Question 20

What do baseball batters tend to adjust relative to the oncoming speed of the pitch?

Accepted Answer

Baseball batters tend to adjust their swing relative to the oncoming speed of the pitch. They initiate their swing depending on the speed of the pitch.

Quiz 7: Performance and Motor Control Characteristics of Functional Skills

The Index of Difficulty (ID) that can be derived from Fitts' law demonstrates that the same task can have various levels of difficulty and the same amount of: