title: Improved Learning a Coincident Timing Task With a Predictable Resisting Force.
abstract: The present study analyzes the learning in a coincident timing task with force perturbation. We aimed to verify whether a predictable load (constant spring) applied to hand movements could facilitate learning and, thus, performance improvement with respect to movements without any external load and an unpredictable load to perform a coincident timing task with a few number of repetitions (n = 28) under acquisition and transfer phases. The results showed that the group with a predictable load had a significant better performance with lower percentage of errors and smaller time variance in the acquisition and transfer phase. The groups with no load and unpredictable load had a similar performance in the transfer phase. It can be concluded that adding a predictable force to the coincident timing task results in performance improvement. Therefore, learning to reach a target at a correct time could be improved with the application of predictable external loads.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of São Paulo.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forner-Cordero
authors.affiliation: 1 University of São Paulo.
authors.forename: Virgínia H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Quadrado
authors.affiliation: 1 University of São Paulo.
authors.forename: Sitsofe A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tsagbey
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: Bouwien C M
authors.initials: BCM
authors.lastname: Smits-Engelsman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: functional performance; motor control; motor learning