Scientists Identify Transition Between Easy and Difficult Tasks
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - 12:42
in Psychology & Sociology
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the primary ways in which we as humans can manipulate our environment involves working with our hands, using them to point, reach, and handle tools such as pens, needles, and screwdrivers. While it's clear from everyday observation that it takes longer to perform difficult aiming tasks (those that require precise, detailed movements) than easy ones, scientists have long thought that performance time increases linearly with task difficulty. However, a new study shows that the human nervous system is more complicated than this theory suggests.