UNIT TWO- motor behaviour

Q: What makes up the central nervous system (CNS)?

A: Brain and spinal cord.

Q: What makes up the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A: Cranial nerves and spinal nerves.

Q: What is the general information processing sequence?

A: Sensory input → CNS → motor output.

Q: What are the 3 stages of information processing in the CNS?

A: Stimulus identification → Response selection → Response programming.

Q: What is sensation?

A: Detecting a stimulus (change in environment/body) via sensory receptors.

Q: Which systems detect sensory changes?

A: Visual, auditory, and somatosensory systems.

Q: What are proprioceptors?

A: Receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints that sense body position/movement.

Q: What are cutaneous receptors?

A: Receptors in the skin that detect touch.

Q: What is perception?

A: Attaching meaning to a stimulus; conscious awareness (influenced by past experiences, context, performance).

Q: What is the function of response selection?

A: Decision making — choosing the most efficient movement response based on stimulus.

Q: What happens during response programming?

A: Plan for movement is created (motor plan) and commands are sent to muscles.

Q: What is reaction time (RT)?

A: Time between stimulus onset and initiation of response.

Q: What is movement time (MT)?

A: Time between starting and completing the movement.

Q: What is total response time?

A: RT + MT (stimulus onset → movement completion).

Q: What is fractionated RT?

A: RT separated into premotor time (processing) and motor time (electromechanical delay).

Q: How do individual constraints affect RT?

A: Older adults and those with concussion or fall history have longer RTs.

Q: How do task constraints affect RT?

A: RT increases with balance challenge (e.g., sitting → standing → walking).

Q: How do environmental constraints affect RT?

A: RT is longer at higher altitudes.

Q: What are the 3 types of uncertainty affecting anticipation?

A: Event (which), spatial (where), temporal (when).

Q: What is simple RT (SRT)?

A: One signal, one response; fastest RT (~200 ms).

Q: What is choice RT (CRT)?

A: More than one signal/response; RT increases with # of choices.

Q: What is Hick’s Law?

A: CRT increases linearly as the number of choices doubles.

Q: What is stimulus

response (SA: The naturalness of the stimulus–response relationship; incompatible = slower RT.

Q: What is a pre- cue?

A: Environmental info that helps anticipate a stimulus and reduce processing.

Q: What is the psychological refractory period (PRP)?

A: Delay in responding to the second of two closely spaced stimuli because the system is still programming the first response.

Q: What causes the PRP effect?

A: Information processing bottleneck during the response programming stage.