Distributed Control in Rapid Sequential Aiming Responses

Abstract

The preparation and on-line control of short, rapid sequential aiming responses were studied in 3 experiments. Participants (N = 12 in Experiments 1 and 2, and 20 in Experiment 3) produced 3-segment responses (a) within self-initiation, simple reaction time (RT), and choice RT paradigms (Experiment 1); (b) without visual feedback under self-initiation conditions (Experiment 2); and (c) with and without visual feedback under simple RT conditions (Experiment 3). In all conditions in which participants initiated movement in response to an external imperative signal, the 2nd response segment was performed consistently slower than preceding and succeeding response segments. That pattern of segmental movement times was found whether or not visual feedback was available but was not evident when participants self-initiated their responses with or without visual feedback. The findings rule out the possibility that subjects' use of visual feedback is responsible for the slowing of the 2nd response segment under RT conditions and suggest that the programming of rapid sequential aiming responses can be distributed in pre- and postinitiation intervals.