research objectives
- to identify which perceptual sources of information constrain the developmental and learning changes, and induce optimal performance in perceptual-motor control, and to unravel processes that underlie these changes (e.g., education of attention; anticipation, visual search),
- to identify which parts of the central nervous system (e.g., maturation of the visual system) constrain the developmental changes in perceptual-motor control, and to unravel processes that underlie these changes,
- to gain insight in how learning in (optimal) perceptual-motor co-ordination can be best facilitated (e.g., through implicit versus explicit learning, focus of attention, imagery, concentration)
- to gain insight how the findings from the above research can be of value for a) diagnostic and therapeutic treatments of developmental disorders of perceptual-movement control and b) how practice and optimal performance in perceptual-motor control can be best facilitated (e.g., design of equipment, type of instruction).
We use several tasks in our research to address the research objectives. Among others, interceptive actions (catching, reaching, hitting (badminton), kicking (football)), balance and locomotion, road-crossing, aiming tasks (basketball, table tennis, dart throwing, penalty shooting), climbing on a climbing wall, and tool-use.
The methods used are several biophysical and psycho-physical techniques (e.g. kinematics, EMG, kinetics), in addition to psychological (e.g. questionnaires) and the techniques in use in the hospital (e.g. fMRI; Ultrasound, Neuropsychological tests in laboratory and field settings).
