The Acquisition of Bimanual Coordination in an Interactive Graphics Task

The problems of multi-limb coordination and environmental control are identified as important to any theory of skilled action. It is argued that these problems are well recognised yet unrelated in the research literature and would benefit from integration. Data are presented on the acquisition of bimanual coordination showing how both problems are solved together in a manipulative task. Subjects were required to steer a screen-displayed cursor along a variety of tilted tracks using two control knobs. Analysis of the knob and cursor movements used by subjects on the task shows that with practice, movement tends to become faster, more coordinated, continuous, accurate and economical; although the exact combination of these improvements depends upon individual differences in movement strategy. The implications of these findings for theories of coordination and control are discussed. © 1988.