Practicing Elements Versus Practicing Coordination: Changes in the Structure of Variance

ABSTRACT

The authors explored effects of practice of a 2-finger accurate force production task on components of finger force variance quantified within the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis, V_UCM, that had no effect on total force and V_ORT that affected total force. A variable task with graded instability was designed to encourage use of variable solutions. Two groups of subjects (n = 9 each) were tested prior to a 1.5-hr practice session, after the session, and 2 weeks later (retention test). Group 1 practiced 1 finger at a time, while Group 2 practiced the task with 2 fingers (index and middle) pressing together. Both groups showed comparable improvements in the performance indices. Both groups showed a decrease in V_ORT, while only Group 2 showed an increase in V_UCM. These effects persisted during the retention test. The results show that practicing elements and practicing redundant groups of elements may lead to similar changes in performance (i.e., in the variability of the total force produced by the set of fingers), accompanied by dramatically different changes in the structure of variance: A drop in V_UCM after the single-finger practice and an increase following the 2-finger practice. The strong retention effects promise applications of the method to rehabilitation.

Keywords:

• coordination
• finger
• force
• practice
• uncontrolled manifold
• variance

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The study was in part supported by NIH grants AG-018751, NS-035032, and AR-048563.