Evidence for a point of no return in a motor act has been reported to occur very late in its preparation and even to the point at which the response is executed. We report a qualitative example from electromyographic (EMG) data of an elbow-extension movement from 1 of 12 adults which suggests that the response can be stopped at any time up to its production, from which we conclude that the response is subject to on-line control at all times.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
De JongR.ColesM. G. H.LoganG. D.GrattonG. (1990) In search of the point of no return: the control of response processes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 16, 164–182.
2.
LoganG. D.CowanW. B. (1984) On the ability to inhibit thought and action: a theory of an act of control. Psychological Review, 91, 295–327.
3.
OsmanA.KornblumS.MeyerD. E. (1990) Does motor programming necessitate response execution?Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 16, 183–198.
