Os efeitos do nível de estabilização do desempenho na adaptação a pertubações perceptivas imprevisíveis

Abstract

The purpose this study was to investigate the effects of the levels of performancestabilization in the adaptation to unpredictable perceptive perturbations. Fifty onevolunteers were randomly distributed in three groups: Control group (GC),Stabilization Group (GE) and Super Stabilization Group (GS). The experiment wasconducted in two phases, named pre-exposure and exposure. In the pre-exposurephase, GE and GS practiced a pre-determined sequence of five sensors touches inorder of touching the last sensor in accordance to the visual stimulus arrival thatmoved to a constant speed and total displacement time of 2250ms. The experimentalgroups were differentiated by the performance stabilization level, determined fromperformance criteria. GE practiced the task until perform three trials in a row withabsolute error less than or equal to 25ms, and GS has practiced the task untilperform six blocks of three trials in a row with absolute error less than or equal to25ms. When the first phase of the experiment got over, the exposure phase started,in which the three groups were submitted to 18 unpredicted perceptual perturbations,which consisted of speed combinations of the visual stimuli during displacement. Thefirst speed had the initial portion with lower stimuli speed and higher speed in thefinal portion; the second speed had the initial portion with higher stimuli speed andlower speed in the final portion; however, the total time of stimuli displacement keepon the same as in the pre-exposure phase (2250ms). The unpredictability of theperturbations was guaranteed by the manipulation of the perturbation insertionmoment, as well as by the randomness of the perturbation. The results showed thatthat: a) the level of performance stabilization influences the adaptation tounpredictable perceptive perturbations; b) the performance stabilization and superstabilization provides better adaptation to unpredictable perceptive perturbationswhen compared to the absence of previous practice; c) performance superstabilization provides better adaptation to unpredictable perceptive perturbations thanperformance stabilization; d) unpredictable perceptual perturbations with lower -higher visual stimuli speed combination are harder to be overcome thanunpredictable perceptual perturbations with higher lower visual stimuli speedcombinations.