Breaking down the one target advantage: The role of pressure

Movement times to a single target are typically shorter compared to when movement to a second target is required (i.e., one target advantage). The one target advantage is a robust phenomenon since it has been shown to emerge regardless of hand preference, practice levels, and the availability of visual feedback. Recently, the phenomenon has been explained through the increased need for cognitive processes during movement integration strategies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of performance pressure on these cognitive processes and the emergence of the one target advantage. Participants performed five movements under both pressured and non-pressured conditions. Movements where performed to a single target, two targets with a single arm where the second movement was either an extension or a reversal, and two targets where the limb was switched at the first target and where the second movement was either an extension or a reversal. The one target advantage (32 msec) was present in the non-pressured conditions. However, under pressured conditions no differences in movement times were found between one-target and two-target movements. These findings suggest a central processing explanation for the one target advantage that can be disrupted through increasing pressure. Specifically, pressure to perform reduces the effectiveness of cognitive processes within the central executive, which prevents the interference effect caused by movement integration resulting in the breakdown of the OTA phenomenon.