Motor control in actions requiring precision and power contact simultaneously with a three-dimensional spatial target

• Grant number: 07/03674-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2007
• End date: August 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Experimental Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Luis Augusto Teixeira
• Grantee: Juliana Roque de Souza
• Host Institution: Escola de Educação Física e Esporte (EEFE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims at studying actions requiring simultaneously power and accuracy in the contact with a spatial (primary) target, which will be launched at a high velocity in the direction of a remote (secondary) target. Motor control on this task will be investigated through manual movements on a flat surface. The study will be conducted through six experiments, analyzing the effect of the following variables on motor performance: movement amplitude, movement velocity, size of the primary and secondary targets, weight of the effector system (inertia), and weight of the primary target (impact). High frequency cinemetria (240 Hz) will be used to evaluate the following variables: (a) directional spatial error, (b) spatial accuracy, (c) response variability, (d) peak velocity, (e) velocity of contact with the primary target, (f) movement time, and (g) time between peak velocity and contact with primary target. Overall, the results of this project have potential to provide information on the control of very fast movements in situations that movement accuracy is also required.