Control Impedance and Precision of Feedback as Parameters in Sensori-Motor Learning

Abstract

The effects of four kinds of mechanical impedance and two levels of precision of augmented feedback on the learning of a simple positioning task were evaluated. A precise visual display was inferior to imprecise verbal feedback except when the intrinsic cues were novel stimuli. The nature of the impedance had a marked influence upon performance and a previous generalisation concerning the most suitable impedance for tasks of this type was not confirmed. Interpretations of the findings were based upon the following: the overlapping considerations of selective perception, short-term v long-term memory, and sensory v motor sets; the mechanical effects of impedance; the effects of impedance on kinaesthetic sensation.