Methods to Study Motor Behaviour

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to the methods used in studying motor behavior.

Performance Outcome Measures

Refers to the results or outcomes of motor skills.

Performance Production Measures

Relates to the movement components involved in performing a skill.

Constant Error (CE)

Provides the amount and direction of deviation from a target, indicating performance bias.

Variable Error (VE)

Measures inconsistency or variability in the movement outcome, represented as the standard deviation of CE.

Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE)

A measure of overall error that indicates the spread of movement across the duration of performance.

Movement Magnitude

Refers to the measurement of a movement's size, such as distance or amplitude.

Reaction Time (RT)

The time interval between the onset of a stimulus and the initiation of a response.

Simple RT Tasks

Tasks requiring only one response choice.

Choice RT Tasks

Tasks presenting multiple response choices or stimuli.

Movement Time (MT)

The time interval from the initiation to the completion of a movement.

Response Time

The sum of reaction time and movement time.

Force Plates

Devices used to measure kinetic data, including the forces that cause movement.

Motion Capture Cameras

Devices that quantify kinematic data by recording the movement of individuals.

Electromyography (EMG)

Technique used to record electrical activity from muscles.

Eye Tracking

Technique for monitoring eye movements, often using head-mounted systems.

Neuroimaging

Techniques used to visualize brain activity, often noninvasively.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A technique that stimulates the brain through the scalp and skull, inducing an electric current.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

A form of transcranial electrical stimulation that alters cortical excitability using electrical currents.