Recruitment of degrees of freedom stabilizes coordination

Author(s): Kelso, J. A. S., Jirsa, V. K., deGuzman, G.

Journal/Book: J Exp Psychol Hum Percep Perf. 2000; 26: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA. Amer Psychological Assoc. 671-692.

Abstract: By showing that transitions may be obviated by recruiting degrees of freedom in the coupled pendulum paradigm, the authors reveal a novel mechanism for coordinative flexibility. In Experiment 1, participants swung pairs of unconstrained pendulums in 2 planes of motion (sagittal and frontal) at 8 movement frequencies starting from either an in-phase or antiphase mode. Few transitions were observed. Measures of spatial trajectory showed recruitment effects tied to the stability of the initial coordinative pattern. When the motion of the pendulums was physically restricted to a single plane in Experiment 2, transitions were more common, indicating that recruitment delays-or even eliminates-transitions. Such recruitment complements transitions as a source of coordinative flexibility and is incorporated in a simple extension of the Haken-Kelso-Bunz (1985) model.

Note: Article Fink PW, Florida Atlantic Univ, Ctr Complex Syst & Brain Sci, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton,FL 33431 USA

Keyword(s): HUMAN HAND MOVEMENTS; PHASE-TRANSITIONS; BIMANUAL COORDINATION; RHYTHMIC MOVEMENTS; SYNERGETIC THEORY; BIOLOGICAL COORDINATION; INTERLIMB COORDINATION; CRITICAL FLUCTUATIONS; TRAJECTORY FORMATION; SELF-ORGANIZATION

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