Premium
Beneficial effects of ambiguous precues: Parallel motor preparation or reduced premotoric processing time?
Author(s) -
Jentzsch Ines,
Leuthold Hartmut,
Richard ridderinkhof K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2004.00155.x
Subject(s) - psychology , stimulus (psychology) , cognitive psychology , choice reaction time , information processing , motor control , communication , task (project management) , cognition , audiology , social psychology , neuroscience , medicine , management , economics
The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying movement preprogramming in situations where informative but ambiguous precue information is used. In a response precuing task that involved flexion or extension movements with the right or left index finger, a spatially compatible precue conveyed partial information about side, about direction, no parameter information (ambiguous condition), or no information at all. Advance movement preparation was indicated by reaction‐time shortening for all informative precue conditions. The analysis of stimulus‐ and response‐locked lateralized readiness potential onsets revealed a clear and exclusive motoric origin of the ambiguous‐precue benefit. Additional analyses ruled out a strategic trial by trial choice of just one of the two ambiguous alternatives and provided evidence for a parallel preparation of both response alternatives when information only about direction or ambiguous precue information is provided.