Fitts’ Movement Task: A Review
Abstract
The Fitts’ Movement Task is a widely used and accepted method of measuring motor performance in humans. It is a simple, yet reliable, way to evaluate psychomotor skills across a range of activities. This paper reviews the literature on Fitts’ Movement Task, including its development, how it works, and its applications. The paper also includes an overview of the most popular studies conducted to date and provides an evaluation of the results. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the research and provides directions for future research.
Introduction
The Fitts’ Movement Task (FMT) is a widely used measure of motor performance and psychomotor skills. It was developed by Paul Fitts in 1954 and is based on the premise that the speed and accuracy of a person’s movements are related to the size of the target they are attempting to reach. The FMT has become a popular tool for measuring motor performance in a variety of contexts, from industrial settings to athletic performance. It has been used to assess a wide range of activities, such as typing, handwriting, and even golf.
The Fitts’ Movement Task has become an important tool for evaluating motor performance in many areas. It is a relatively simple and reliable test that can be used to measure a range of psychomotor abilities. This paper reviews the literature on the FMT, including its development, how it works, and its applications. The paper also includes an overview of the most popular studies conducted to date and provides an evaluation of the results. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the research and provides directions for future research.
Development
The FMT was first developed by Paul Fitts in 1954 as part of his research on human information processing. His goal was to create a simple test to measure the speed and accuracy of a person’s motor performance. The FMT consists of two components: a target and a cursor. The target is a stationary object (such as a circle or square) that the subject must move the cursor towards. The cursor can be any type of pointing device, such as a mouse or joystick. The task is to move the cursor from the starting position to the target as quickly and accurately as possible.
The FMT is based on the premise that the time taken to move the cursor from the starting position to the target is a function of the distance between the two points and the size of the target. Fitts proposed that the time taken to reach the target is inversely proportional to the size of the target and directly proportional to the distance between the starting position and the target. This relationship is known as the Fitts’ Law and is the foundation of the FMT.
How it works
The FMT is based on the Fitts’ Law and is designed to measure the speed and accuracy of a person’s movements. The task requires the subject to move the cursor from the starting position to the target as quickly and accurately as possible. The task is usually completed in two stages. The first stage is the movement phase, in which the subject moves the cursor from the starting position to the target. The second stage is the accuracy phase, in which the subject attempts to move the cursor as close to the center of the target as possible.
The task is designed to measure a range of motor skills, including reaction time, speed, accuracy, and coordination. The results of the FMT can be used to assess a person’s overall motor performance, as well as to provide insights into specific psychomotor skills.
Studies and Results
Since its development, the FMT has been used in a variety of studies to evaluate motor performance in different contexts. Studies have shown that the FMT is a reliable and valid measure of motor performance.
In one study, the FMT was used to assess motor performance in a typing task. The results showed that the FMT was able to accurately measure typing speed and accuracy (Jankowski et al., 2007). The study also showed that the FMT was able to predict typing performance better than other measures of motor performance.
In another study, the FMT was used to assess handwriting performance in elementary school children. The results showed that the FMT was able to accurately measure handwriting speed and accuracy (Meara et al., 2010). The study also showed that the FMT was able to predict handwriting performance better than other measures of motor performance.
In a third study, the FMT was used to assess golf performance. The results showed that the FMT was able to accurately measure golf accuracy and consistency (Lemm et al., 2012). The study also showed that the FMT was able to predict golf performance better than other measures of motor performance.
Implications and Future Research
The results of these studies indicate that the FMT is a reliable and valid measure of motor performance. The FMT has been used to evaluate a variety of activities, from typing to golf, and is an effective tool for assessing psychomotor skills.
The research suggests that the FMT is a useful tool for evaluating motor performance in a variety of contexts. However, further research is needed to explore the potential applications of the FMT to other activities. Additionally, further research is needed to explore the potential applications of the FMT to other populations, such as children or the elderly.
Conclusion
The Fitts’ Movement Task (FMT) is a widely used and accepted measure of motor performance and psychomotor skills. It is a simple, yet reliable, way to evaluate motor performance in a variety of activities. This paper has reviewed the literature on the FMT, including its development, how it works, and its applications. The paper has also included an overview of the most popular studies conducted to date and provided an evaluation of the results. Finally, the paper has discussed the implications of the research and provided directions for future research.
References
Jankowski, T. J., Burmeister, B. J., & Kosty, D. B. (2007). An evaluation of the Fitts’ Movement Task in the assessment of typing performance. Human Factors, 49(6), 1199–1209.
Lemm, K., Gray, R., & Hays, R. (2012). The Fitts’ Movement Task as a measure of golf performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 24(4), 472–483.
Meara, N. M., O’Brien, D., & Brown, S. (2010). The Fitts’ Movement Task: A valid measure of handwriting performance in elementary school children. Writing Systems Research, 2(2), 115–128.