title: Attentional load associated with performing and stabilizing a between-persons coordination of rhythmic limb movements.
abstract: This study addressed the issue of intentional stabilization of between-persons coordination patterns (in-phase/isodirectional and anti-phase/non-isodirectional) and the attentional cost incurred by the nervous system in maintaining and further stabilizing these coordination patterns. Five pairs of participants performed in-phase and anti-phase interpersonal coordination patterns in dual-task conditions (coordination+RT task). Results showed that: (1) isodirectional pattern (in-phase) was more stable than non-isodirectional pattern (anti-phase), (2) both iso- and non-isodirectional pattern were stabilized intentionally, (3) RT was lower for the isodirectional pattern (i.e., the most stable), and (4) attentional manipulation led to a trade-off between pattern stability and RT performance. These results suggest that performing between-persons coordination patterns incurs a central cost that depends on the coupling strength between the limbs. These findings are consistent with the previous studies in intrapersonal coordination.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of the Mediterranean and CNRS, 163 Avenue de Luminy, case postale BP 910, 13009 Marseille, France. temprado@laps.univ-mrs.fr
authors.forename: Jean Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Temprado
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laurent
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010507:Periodicity; D011930:Reaction Time