Perceptual Motor Group

Welcome

The Perception and Motor Control Group investigates how processes of perception, attention, emotion, and motor control interact to produce successful actions. We also examine how these processes change during sub-optimal performance.

Our aims are to discover new knowledge about the processes that underlie human performance, and to improve motor performance and skill acquisition in applied settings. We currently work with groups such as the England and Wales Cricket Board and the charity Mencap to convert research findings into improved performance.

Research topics include:

Attention, vision and motor control

The role of visual feedback in planning and executing target-directed actions
Decision making during reaction time
Enhancing motor skills in individuals with learning disabilities (funded by the European Social Fund)

Emotion and performance

How the fluency of motor actions can change the emotional state of the actor
The multidimensional effects of anxiety on motor production
The use of skill acquisition techniques to eliminate choking