The effects of task complexity on motor preparation in a typewriting task

The learning of a movement skill usually progresses from a more attentive phase to a more automated phase, reducing the strain on cognitive capacity. Previous studies have pointed out that different cognitive processes may underlie these different phases of motor skill acquisition and may even be present during motor preparation. Various forms of task complexity seem to influence event-related potentials such as the contingent negative variation. In this study, the electroencephalogram was recorded of participants who copy typed words which were manipulated in familiarity (Dutch and nonsense words) and length (five and seven letter words). The most profound result of the present study was the absence of a central CNV and a more pronounced CNV at parietal sites and an increased negative CNV amplitude for unfamiliar words. This is not in line with results of studies who use classical discrete sequence production tasks. These results may implicate that in highly developed motor skills, motor preparation takes place on a higher cognitive level and in more parietal regions