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Author (down) Friedman, Jason; Latash, Mark L.; Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M.
Title Prehension synergies: a study of digit force adjustments to the continuously varied load force exerted on a partially constrained hand-held object Type Journal Article
Year 2009 Publication Experimental Brain Research Abbreviated Journal Exp Brain Res
Volume 197 Issue 1 Pages 1-13
Keywords
Abstract We examined how the digit forces adjust when a load force acting on a hand-held object continuously varies. The subjects were required to hold the handle still while a linearly increasing and then decreasing force was applied to the handle. The handle was constrained, such that it could only move up and down, and rotate about a horizontal axis. In addition, the moment arm of the thumb tangential force was 1.5 times the moment arm of the virtual finger (VF, an imagined finger with the mechanical action equal to that of the four fingers) force. Unlike the situation when there are equal moment arms, the experimental setup forced the subjects to choose between (a) sharing equally the increase in load force between the thumb and VF but generating a moment of tangential force, which had to be compensated by negatively co-varying the moment due to normal forces, or (b) sharing unequally the load force increase between the thumb and VF but preventing generation of a moment of tangential forces. We found that different subjects tended to use one of these two strategies. These findings suggest that the selection by the CNS of prehension synergies at the VF-thumb level with respect to the moment of force is non-obligatory and reflects individual subject preferences. This unequal sharing of the load by the tangential forces, in contrast to the previously observed equal sharing, suggests that the invariant feature of prehension may be a correlated increase in tangential forces rather than an equal increase.
Address Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, 39 Recreation Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA, jason.friedman@psu.edu
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Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1432-1106 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:19554319 Approved no
Call Number Penn State @ write.to.jason @ Serial 16
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Author (down) Friedman, Jason; Flash, Tamar
Title Trajectory of the index finger during grasping Type Journal Article
Year 2009 Publication Experimental Brain Research Abbreviated Journal Exp Brain Res
Volume 196 Issue 4 Pages 497-509
Keywords
Abstract The trajectory of the index finger during grasping movements was compared to the trajectories predicted by three optimization-based models. The three models consisted of minimizing the integral of the weighted squared joint derivatives along the path (inertia-like cost), minimizing torque change, and minimizing angular jerk. Of the three models, it was observed that the path of the fingertip and the joint trajectories, were best described by the minimum angular jerk model. This model, which does not take into account the dynamics of the finger, performed equally well when the inertia of the finger was altered by adding a 20 g weight to the medial phalange. Thus, for the finger, it appears that trajectories are planned based primarily on kinematic considerations at a joint level.
Address Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, write.to.jason@gmail.com
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1432-1106 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:19521692 Approved no
Call Number Penn State @ write.to.jason @ Serial 17
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Author (down) Friedman, Jason; Brown, Scott; Finkbeiner, Matthew
Title Linking cognitive and reaching trajectories via intermittent movement control Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication Journal of Mathematical Psychology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 57 Issue 3-4 Pages 140-151
Keywords Decision making; Diffusion model; Reaction times; Arm movements; Submovements
Abstract Theories of decision-making have traditionally been constrained by reaction time data. A limitation of reaction time data, particularly for studying the temporal dynamics of cognitive processing, is that they index only the endpoint of the decision making process. Recently, physical reaching trajectories have been used as proxies for underlying mental trajectories through decision space. We suggest that this approach has been oversimplified: while it is possible for the motor control system to access the current state of the evidence accumulation process, this access is intermittent. Instead, we demonstrate how a model of arm movements that assumes intermittent, not continuous, access to the decision process is sufficient to describe the effects of stimulus quality and viewing time in curved reaching movements.
Address
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 70
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Author (down) Finkbeiner, Matthew; Friedman, Jason
Title The flexibility of nonconsciously deployed cognitive processes: Evidence from masked congruence priming Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication PLoS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 6 Issue 2 Pages e17095
Keywords
Abstract Background

It is well accepted in the subliminal priming literature that task-level properties modulate nonconscious processes. For example, in tasks with a limited number of targets, subliminal priming effects are limited to primes that are physically similar to the targets. In contrast, when a large number of targets are used, subliminal priming effects are observed for primes that share a semantic (but not necessarily physical) relationship with the target. Findings such as these have led researchers to conclude that task-level properties can direct nonconscious processes to be deployed exclusively over central (semantic) or peripheral (physically specified) representations.

Principal Findings

We find distinct patterns of masked priming for “novel” and “repeated” primes within a single task context. Novel primes never appear as targets and thus are not seen consciously in the experiment. Repeated primes do appear as targets, thereby lending themselves to the establishment of peripheral stimulus-response mappings. If the source of the masked priming effect were exclusively central or

peripheral, then both novel and repeated primes should yield similar patterns of priming. In contrast, we find that both novel and repeated primes produce robust, yet distinct, patterns of priming.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that nonconsciously elicited cognitive processes can be flexibly deployed over both central and peripheral representations within a single task context. While we agree that task level properties can influence nonconscious processes, our findings sharply constrain the extent of this influence. Specifically, our findings are inconsistent with extant accounts which hold that the influence of task-level properties is strong enough to restrict the deployment of nonconsciously elicited cognitive processes to a single type of representation (i.e. central or peripheral).
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Penn State @ write.to.jason @ Serial 22
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Author (down) Awasthi, Bhuvanesh; Friedman, Jason; Williams, Mark A
Title Processing of low spatial frequency faces at periphery in choice reaching tasks Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication Neuropsychologia Abbreviated Journal
Volume 49 Issue 7 Pages 2136-2141
Keywords
Abstract Various aspects of face processing have been associated with distinct ranges of spatial frequencies. Configural processing of faces depends chiefly on low spatial frequency (LSF) information whereas high spatial frequency (HSF) supports feature based processing. However, it has also been argued that face processing has a foveal-bias (HSF channels dominate the fovea). Here we used reach trajectories as a continuous behavioral measure to study perceptual processing of faces. Experimental stimuli were LSF–HSF hybrids of male and female faces superimposed and were presented peripherally and centrally. Subject reached out to touch a specified sex and their movements were recorded. The reaching trajectories reveal that there is less effect of (interference by) LSF faces at fovea as compared to periphery while reaching to HSF targets. These results demonstrate that peripherally presented LSF information, carried chiefly by magnocellular channels, enables efficient processing of faces, possibly via a retinotectal (subcortical) pathway.
Address
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 24
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