Hysteresis in hand-eye coordination

A perceptual displacement paradigm is used to explore the dynamic properties of hand-eye coordination. Participants used a computer mouse to trace the outline of a circle that was displayed on a computer monitor. The experimental apparatus introduced a series of rotational displacements to the participant's normal hand-eye coordination. These displacements were similar to the kinds of coordination displacements that are associated with performing endoscopic surgery. The goal of the investigation was to test whether the coordination system displayed behaviour similar to that associated with simple nonlinear dynamic systems, such as hysteresis and multistability. The observed hysteresis pattern parallels in quality the hysteresis behaviour of rather simple nonlinear dynamic systems. Hysteresis underscores the role of the contextual constraints in both the understanding and control of behaviour. It also motivates dynamic systems theory as a general framework for understanding coordination.