Timing skills and expertise: discrete and continuous timed movements among musicians and athletes

Abstract

Introduction: Movement-based expertise relies on precise timing of movements and the capacity to predict the timing of events. Music performance involves discrete rhythmic actions that adhere to regular cycles of timed events, whereas many sports involve continuous movements that are not timed in a cyclical manner. It has been proposed that the precision of discrete movements relies on event timing (clock mechanism), whereas continuous movements are controlled by emergent timing. We examined whether movement-based expertise influences the timing mode adopted to maintain precise rhythmic actions.Materials and Method: Timing precision was evaluated in musicians, athletes and control participants. Discrete and continuous movements were assessed using finger-tapping and circle-drawing tasks, respectively, based on the synchronization-continuation paradigm. In Experiment 1, no auditory feedback was provided in the continuation phase of the trials, whereas in Experiment 2 every action triggered a feedback tone.Results: Analysis of precision in the continuation phase indicated that athletes performed significantly better than musicians and controls in the circle-drawing task, whereas musicians were more precise than controls in the finger tapping task. Interestingly, musicians were also more precise than controls in the circle-drawing task. Results also showed that the timing mode adopted was dependent on expertise and the presence of auditory feedback.Discussion: Results showed that movement-based expertise is associated with enhanced timing, but these effects depend on the nature of the training. Expertise was found to influence the timing strategy adopted to maintain precise rhythmic movements, suggesting that event and emergent timing mechanisms are not strictly tied to specific tasks, but can both be adopted to achieve precise timing.

Auditory and motor contributions to the timing of melodies under cognitive load.

“…This finding indicates that timing performance in the absence of body movements between successive key presses relied on cognitive resources shared with the performance of the working memory task. This confirms the results of Maes et al (2015) and other research arguing that the temporal control of discrete rhythmic body movements relies on an event-based timing system that depends on explicit computation of the passage of time (Braun Janzen et al, 2014;Delignières et al, 2004;LaRue, 2005;Robertson et al, 1999;Studenka et al, 2012;Torre & Balasubramaniam, 2009;Zelaznik et al, 2002Zelaznik et al, , 2008. In contrast, the fact that regular interval production was significantly better when participants were able to perform continuous arm movements between successive key presses suggests that timing control is regulated, at least in part, by sensorimotor processes, presumably capitalizing on the motor system's dynamics (emergent timing).…”

“…use depends on task constraints and personal factors (Braun Janzen et al, 2014). However, we do not wish to claim that clock-based and perceptual-motor timing strategies are mutually exclusive.…”

When Non-Dominant Is Better than Dominant: Kinesiotape Modulates Asymmetries in Timed Performance during a Synchronization-Continuation Task

“…In the KT session the test started after having applied the strip of KT on both dominant and non-dominant arm, starting with the application of KT on the arm by which the sets of IWFEs would be performed first. The synchronization-continuation paradigm was adopted for this experiment (Repp and Steinman, 2010 ; Braun Janzen et al, 2014 ). Each participant was asked to entrain IWFEs to the clicks so that the point of wrist flexion peak would coincide with the presentation of discrete auditory event (synchronization phase).…”

Sensorimotor Grounding of Musical Embodiment and the Role of Prediction: A Review

“…Research on motor control and coordination suggests that the timing of rhythmic body movements is a hybrid phenomenon. Typically a distinction is made between discrete and continuous (quasi-periodic) movements (Robertson et al, 1999 ; Zelaznik et al, 2002 ; Delignières et al, 2004 ; Larue, 2005 ; Zelaznik et al, 2008 ; Torre and Balasubramaniam, 2009 ; Studenka et al, 2012 ; Janzen et al, 2014 ). Whereas discrete rhythmic movements are characterized by salient events separated by pauses in bodily movement, continuous rhythmic movements are smooth without interspersed pauses.…”