Effects of task constraints on reaching kinematics by healthy adults

Understanding the control of movement requires an awareness of how tasks constrain movements. The present study investigated the effects of two types of task constraints - spatial accuracy (effector size) and target location - on reaching kinematics. 15 right-handed healthy young adults (7 men, 8 women) whose mean age was 23.6 yr. (SD = 3.9 yr.) performed the ringing task under six conditions, formed by the crossing of effector size (larger vs smaller size) and target location (left, right, or a central position). Significant main effects of effector size and target location were found for peak velocity and movement time. There was a significant interaction for the percentage of time to peak velocity. The findings suggested that task constraints may modulate movement performance in specific ways. Effects of effector size might be a consequence of feedforward and feedback control, and location effects might be influenced by both biomechanical and neurological factors.