Speed-accuracy trade-off in the performance of pointing movements in different directions in two-dimensional space.

Abstract

Nine healthy subjects performed 2D pointing movements using a joystick that controlled a screen cursor. Continuous visual feedback was provided until movement completion. Three variables were systematically manipulated: (1) target distance, (2) target size and (3) target direction. A four-way factorial ANOVA was used to analyze the effects of these fixed factors and of the random factor of subject on several movement parameters. Movement time increased with increasing distance and decreasing target size and as predicted from Fitts' law. The target direction did not affect movement time. In contrast the direction, distance and size of the target significantly affected the movement time until the first zero crossing on the speed record reflecting the time to bring the arm into the vicinity of the target. Movements on the lateral axis of the horizontal plane (horizontal movements) resulted in a decrease in initial movement time compared to movements on the anterior axis of the horizontal plane (vertical movements). A significant effect of target distance and direction but not target size was observed for the magnitude of maximum acceleration, maximum speed and maximum deceleration. Horizontal movements had a larger maximum acceleration, speed and deceleration. Furthermore the maximum speed and deceleration occurred earlier in time for these horizontal movements. Finally the number of secondary peaks on the speed record increased with decreasing target size and was not affected by the target distance or target direction. In conclusion our results indicate that different movement parameters are affected by target distance, size and direction. The crucial distinction was between parameters affected by target size and direction. These parameters did not overlap. Target direction affects the first part of movement execution while target size affects the final part of movement execution. Thus a clear segmentation of movement execution in two phases is supported by these results. The implications of these results for theoretical models of speed-accuracy trade-off are discussed.