Goal‐based representation in repetitive bimanual movements

Abstract

Rhythmic bimanual movements have been the dominant task for understanding coordination involving multiple effectors. This paradigm has led to the development of sophisticated, quantitative models, applicable across a range of situations. However, the role of movement goals during the performance of bimanual movements has received relatively little attention. We review studies implicating the importance of movement goals in rhythmic and non‐rhythmic bimanual action. Furthermore, we present a simple experiment that demonstrates how task goals can have a powerful influence on how movement patterns are represented. The placement of real or imagined contact points, or events, was manipulated during in‐phase and anti‐phase repetitive bimanual wrist movements. Simultaneous vocalizations during the task were used to provide a window into the goal structure associated with the various conditions. The presence of the events resulted in vocalization patterns that were not observed when the tasks were performed in the absence of such events, and the goal structure was dictated by the events rather than the movement pattern. We propose that the manner in which the action is represented is an important constraint underlying the relative stability of coordination of different movement patterns.

Key words:

• coordination
• constraints
• event‐timing