A source of decrement in psychomotor performance.

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Abstract
The single performance measure recorded for a trial on a psychomotor task can be regarded as a gross index of the level of several component responses constituting the response complex. Certain component responses are readily observable and unquestionably related to proficiency, but other such as visual discrimination and bodily adjustment are less obvious and their role in determining over-all performance level has been commonly ignored. Under investigation was the effect of component response repetition on decrement in the measure of over-all performance in the task. The Rotary Pursuit Test was used. The component response of visual pursuit and discrimination was studied and was evoked by having 5 press a button each time he judged his partner to be on target. It was established that interpolation of visual response repetition led to significantly lower time-on-target scores in a final practice session. Control groups showed that this decrement could not be attributed to work or interference effects of button pressing per se or the general fatigue effects of standing. Another group demonstrated that this decrement dissipated over rest. Reduction in amount of warm-up decrement also resulted from repetition of the visual response. Implications for reminiscence in bilateral transfer were discussed.
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