Abstract
Three young men were given the step-tracking task of pushing a slider to either a near or a far target lamp as soon as one came on. Occasionally, the alternative lamp replaced the initial one after it had been on for 50 msec, calling for either curtailment or extension of the initial command. This net stimulus information led to the modifying of response on a majority of trials. Its first discernible effect occurred without any PR (psychological refractoriness) delay. In some cases, the response appeared to be influenced from its onset by the second signal. More often, modification appeared later. Typically, the response was inadequate relative to the new command, or distorted. Effects of the initial command evidently persisted, either in neural organization or in actual execution. Step-tracking responses are thus vulnerable, yet resistant to modification. It is reasonable that in continuous tracking the operator would avoid making effortful, inadequate modifications. Hence, his performance could be described asvoluntarily intermittent. The usual PR delay found on dual keypressing tasks cannot be attributed to limitations in capacity for identifying signals or even in “selecting” a response. It is suggested that the organizational process required for the first response interferes with another such process.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call