Independent Development of Imagination and Perception of Fitts' Law in Late Childhood and Adolescence. Issue 2 (4th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yoxon, Emma; Welsh, Timothy N.
• Is Part Of: Journal of motor behavior. Volume 50:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 166
• Page End: 176
• Publication Date: 2018-03-04
• Subjects: development -- mental chronometry -- motor imagery -- perception; Human mechanics -- Periodicals; Movement, Psychology of -- Periodicals; Motor Activity -- Periodicals; Motor Skills -- Periodicals; Bewegingsleer; Mécanique humaine -- Périodiques; Psychomotricité -- Périodiques; 612.705
• DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2017.1327408
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2895

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Recent neurophysiological and behavioral research suggests perception-action systems are tightly coupled. Accordingly, Fitts' law has been observed when individuals execute, perceive, and imagine actions. Developmental research has found that (a) children demonstrate Fitts' law in imagined actions and (b) imagined movement time (MT) becomes closer to actual MT as age increases. However, action execution, imagination, and perception have yet to be assessed together in children. The authors investigated how imagined and perceived MTs related to actual MTs in children and adolescents. It was found that imagined MTs were longer than execution MTs were. Perception MTs were lower than execution MTs for children and more consistent with execution MTs for adolescents. These results suggest potential mechanistic differences in action imagination and perception.