Constant velocity tracking as a function of S's handedness and the rate and direction of the target course.

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Abstract
The effect of handedness, target direction, and target speed in a unidimensional tracking task was investigated in a latin-square experiment involving 24 Ss. Each S tracked for 5 min. under each of 8 experimental conditions. There were appropriate rest periods after each 75 sec. of tracking. The 8 experimental conditions consisted of the factorial combinations of (a) right-to-left target motions vs. left-to-right target motions, and (b) 4 target rates, 1.33 in./sec., 1.78 in./sec, 2.67 in./3ec, and 5.33 in./sec. Eight of the Ss were right-handed and had had experience on the unidimensional tracking task. Eight other righthanded Ss were inexperienced. Of the 8 left-handed Ss used, half were experienced and half were inexperienced. The principal findings of the experiment were as follows: 1. There was a clear-cut and significant practice effect for all Ss. 2. Tracking performance scores fell off linearly as a function of the target speed for all groups of Ss. 3. Neither handedness nor target direction, singly, contributed to the significant variation in the experiment, but they had a combined effect or interaction that was statistically significant. The right-handed Ss tracked the right-to-left targets better, and the left-handed Ss tracked the left-to-right targets better. This finding was interpreted in terms of a motor factor dependent upon the superiority of positioning movements involving a pushing or thrusting as opposed to a pulling motion.

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