Abstract

This study examined the relation between movement amplitude and tempo during self-paced rhythmic finger tapping to test a preferred velocity account of the preferred tempo construct. Preferred tempo refers to the concept that individuals have preferences for the pace of actions or events in their environment (e.g., the desired pace of walking or tempo of music). The preferred velocity hypothesis proposes that assessments of preferred tempo do not represent a pure time preference independent of spatial movement characteristics, but rather reflects a preference for an average movement velocity, predicting that preferred tempo will depend on movement amplitude. We tested this by having participants first perform a novel spontaneous motor amplitude (SMA) task in which they repetitively tapped their finger at their preferred amplitude without instructions about tapping tempo. Next, participants completed the spontaneous motor tempo (SMT) task in which they tapped their finger at their preferred tempo without instructions about tapping amplitude. Finally, participants completed a target amplitude version of the SMT task where they tapped at their preferred tempo at three target amplitudes (low, medium, and high). Participants (1) produced similar amplitudes and tempi regardless of instructions to produce either their preferred amplitude or preferred tempo, maintaining the same average movement velocity across SMA and SMT tasks and (2) altered their preferred tempo for different target amplitudes in the direction predicted by their estimated preferred velocity from the SMA and SMT tasks. Overall, results show the interdependence of movement amplitude and tempo in tapping assessments of preferred tempo.

中文翻译：

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自定进度手指敲击过程中运动幅度和节奏的相互依赖性：首选速度假设的评估

摘要

这项研究检查了自定节奏的有节奏的手指敲击过程中运动幅度和节奏之间的关系，以测试首选节奏结构的首选速度说明。首选节奏是指个人对其环境中的行动或事件的节奏有偏好的概念（例如，所需的行走节奏或音乐节奏）。首选速度假设提出，对首选节奏的评估并不代表独立于空间运动特征的纯粹时间偏好，而是反映了对平均运动速度的偏好，预测首选节奏将取决于运动幅度。我们通过让参与者首先执行一项新颖的自发运动幅度（SMA）任务来对此进行测试，在该任务中，他们以自己喜欢的幅度重复敲击手指，而无需了解敲击节奏的说明。接下来，参与者完成了自发运动节奏（SMT）任务，其中他们以自己喜欢的节奏敲击手指，而没有有关敲击幅度的说明。最后，参与者完成了 SMT 任务的目标振幅版本，他们以自己喜欢的节奏在三个目标振幅（低、中和高）下敲击。参与者 (1) 产生相似的幅度和速度，无论产生其首选幅度或首选节奏的指令如何，在 SMA 和 SMT 任务中保持相同的平均运动速度，并且 (2) 在预测的方向上针对不同目标幅度改变他们的首选节奏他们根据 SMA 和 SMT 任务估计的首选速度。总体而言，结果显示了在首选节奏的敲击评估中运动幅度和节奏的相互依赖性。