Meeting Abstract

98.7  Wednesday, Jan. 7  The kinetics and kinematics of human performance: Trade-offs between force and accuracy ALMEDIA, Suellen*; IRSCHICK, Duncan; University of Massachusetts at Amherst; University of Massachusetts at Amherst salmeida@student.umass.edu

The production of maximum force during difficult motor tasks is presumed to trade-off with accuracy, but we know relatively little about the nature of this trade-off. We measured the kinetics of a key performance trait (hammering) using a robust Kistler force platform that can effectively measure the force output of hammering strikes. We also filmed strikes with a high-speed video camera to measure key hammering kinematic measures, such as velocity and acceleration. We tested whether there was a trade-off between force (as measured by the force platform) and accuracy (which varied because we varied target size on the force platform). This integration of forces and kinematics allowed us to test whether different individuals employed different hammering strategies, and also whether sex (male versus female) had a significant impact on hammering performance and behavior.