A Dynamical Model for Fitts’ Task

Abstract

In the present contribution the speed-accuracy trade-off is addressed from a dynamical perspective, using graphical tools to identify the oscillatory basis of movement in Fitts’ reciprocal aiming task. In a dynamical systems perspective, a movement is considered the behavioral expression of the system’s intrinsic dynamics, where the behavioral stability emerges from the self-organization capabilities of the biological system. Following a task dynamic approach, these constraints may be redefined within a dynamical system described in an abstract task-space. The cycles recorded during a 15 s trial were normalized and averaged, as the normalized average cycle would reflect the autonomous dynamical organization which emerges in response to the task demands. The chapter introduces a minimal dynamical system which combines a tuneable Duffing stiffness function and a tuneable Rayleigh damping function. The formal description of this interaction remains a challenging step toward a complete dynamical understanding of Fitts’ law.