TY - JOUR

T1 - Aging and Distal Effect Anticipation when Using Tools

AU - Oehl, Michael

AU - Heber, Ines Ann

AU - Sutter, Christine

AU - Dahlmanns, Luisa

N1 - Conference code: 30

PY - 2012/7/24

Y1 - 2012/7/24

N2 - The impact of age on controlling tools with sensorimotor transformations is surveyed with regard to action control. Recent evidence lets us assume that the distal action effect (e.g., moving cursor on a display) rather than the proximal action effect (e.g., moving hand that manipulates the tool) determines the efficiency of tool use. In Experiment 1 different gains were explored with a motion‐ and a forcecontrolled tool. In correspondence with our assumptions the results revealed evidence that Fitts' law holds for distal action‐effect movements, but less for proximal action‐effect movements. Most importantly, this was not only true for the motion‐controlled tool, but also for the force‐controlled one. Especially for the elder group we found a more efficient use of the motion‐controlled tool in comparison to the force‐controlled tool, while the gain did not show any impact at all. In Experiment 2 the dominance of the action effect on motor control was confirmed in an experiment with a digitizer tablet. The tablet amplitude was held constant, but again, movement times followed the perceived index of difficulty on the display. This was even more pronounced in the elder participants. It is concluded that Fitts' law did not rely on the movements of the motor system, but on the distal action effects on the display (changes in visual space). With aging distal action‐effect control plays an increasing role on perceiving and controlling tools with sensorimotor transformations.

AB - The impact of age on controlling tools with sensorimotor transformations is surveyed with regard to action control. Recent evidence lets us assume that the distal action effect (e.g., moving cursor on a display) rather than the proximal action effect (e.g., moving hand that manipulates the tool) determines the efficiency of tool use. In Experiment 1 different gains were explored with a motion‐ and a forcecontrolled tool. In correspondence with our assumptions the results revealed evidence that Fitts' law holds for distal action‐effect movements, but less for proximal action‐effect movements. Most importantly, this was not only true for the motion‐controlled tool, but also for the force‐controlled one. Especially for the elder group we found a more efficient use of the motion‐controlled tool in comparison to the force‐controlled tool, while the gain did not show any impact at all. In Experiment 2 the dominance of the action effect on motor control was confirmed in an experiment with a digitizer tablet. The tablet amplitude was held constant, but again, movement times followed the perceived index of difficulty on the display. This was even more pronounced in the elder participants. It is concluded that Fitts' law did not rely on the movements of the motor system, but on the distal action effects on the display (changes in visual space). With aging distal action‐effect control plays an increasing role on perceiving and controlling tools with sensorimotor transformations.

KW - Business psychology

U2 - 10.1080/00207594.2012.709099

DO - 10.1080/00207594.2012.709099

M3 - Conference abstract in journal

VL - 47

SP - 345

JO - International Journal of Psychology

JF - International Journal of Psychology

SN - 0020-7594

IS - S1

T2 - XXX International Congress of Psychology - ICP 2012

Y2 - 22 July 2012 through 27 July 2012

ER -