The coding and retention characteristics of two dimensional movements

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term memory coding characteristics and recall performance for two dimensional movements. Specifically, it was the purpose of this investigation to: (1) compare the accuracy of recall of distance, location and angular movement cues, (2) determine if a differential access to central processing exists for the kinesthetic information arising from location, distance, or combined distance and angle positioning movement, and (3) determine the effect of dispersing criterion movements to several movement sectors upon the accuracy of reproduction. Seventy-two male and female college students were randomly assigned to one of three movement cue groups: distance, location, or distance plus angle. All subjects were presented with trial with immediate 15-second rest, and 15-second activity retention intervals along with repeated trial to four designated movement sectors. The procedure called for 16 trials under each retention interval for a total of 48 experimental trials per subject. The statistical analysis for hypothesis testing was a 3 x 3 x 4 (movement condition x retention interval x movement sector) analysis of variance with repeated measures on the last two factors. The analysis of absolute error revealed interactions among all three variables examined. The movement condition x retention interval interaction revealed that distance information was maintained during a rest interval and subject to decay following a task-filled interval. In contrast, location and distance plus angle cues were subject to decay during a rest interval but exhibited least accurate performance at every retention interval. The movement condition x sector interaction indicated that long movements were recalled with less accuracy for the distance plus angle condition only. Also, distance plus angle accuracy was inferior to the other conditions at all but one of the four sectors examined. The retention interval x sector interaction indicated that long movements were recalled less accurately than short movements for the immediate and filled intervals but not the rest interval.