Parameter integration process in the perception and memory of muscular angular impulse

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to determine the similarity of perceptual and memorial processes with respect to the integration of two of the parameters defining muscular angular-impulse (i.e., mass and angular velocity). Four experiments were conducted to answer this question, the first two were conducted to answer methodological questions, while the second two answered substantive questions.;Procedures. The purpose of Experiment I was to determine the JND of three standard mass's: 150, 300, and 450 grams. The method of constant stimuli was used with 15 male and female college students. Seven comparisons were made with each standard.;The purpose of Experiment II was to determine the JND of angular velocity during movement at three different standard velocities; 2.16 m/s, 3.24 m/s, and 4.32 m/s. The method of constant stimuli was used with 18 male and female college students. Seven comparisons were made with each standard.;The purpose of Experiment III was to examine the psychophysical function between the physical magnitude of muscular angular-impulse and the perceived magnitude, and to determine the rule by which sensations of movement velocity and the mass of the load are perceptually integrated. The method of magnitude estimation was used in a factorial arrangement (3 velocities x 4 levels of mass) of magnitudes of angular-impulse.;The purpose of Experiment IV was to examine the psychophysical function between the physical magnitudes of angular-impulse and their representations in memory, and to determine the rule by which sensations of movement velocity and the mass of the load are integrated during the process of memory encoding. The method of magnitude estimation was used in a factorial arrangement (perceptual vs memorial estimation x 3 velocities x 4 levels of mass).;Conclusions. The psychophysical exponent for angular-impulse was.80, indicating that small magnitudes of angular-impulse are overestimated while large magnitudes are underestimated. The integration of sensations of mass and angular-velocity was found to be multiplicative.;The psychophysical function for remembered angular-impulse was.62, indicating that small magnitudes of angular-impulse are overestimated while large magnitudes are underestimated. The rule by which sensations of mass and angular-velocity are integrated during encoding was also multiplicative. Movement velocity has the greatest effect on the magnitude of perceived angular-impulse.