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ERIC Number: EJ1484374
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0364-0213
EISSN: EISSN-1551-6709
Available Date: 2025-09-02
Acquisition and Utilization of Recursive Rules in Motor Sequence Generation
MaurĂ­cio D. Martins1,2; Zoe Bergmann1; Elena Leonova3; Roberta Bianco4; Daniela Sammler2,5; Arno Villringer2,6,7
Cognitive Science, v49 n9 e70108 2025
Recursive hierarchical embedding allows humans to generate multiple hierarchical levels using simple rules. We can acquire recursion from exposure to linguistic and visual examples, but only develop the ability to understand "multiple-level" structures like "[[second] red] ball]" after mastering "same-level" conjunctions like "[second] "and" [red] ball." Whether we can also learn recursion in motor production remains unexplored. Here, we tested 40 adults' ability to learn and generate sequences of finger movements using "multiple-level" recursion and "same-level" iteration rules (like linguistic conjunction). Rule order was counterbalanced. First, they learned the generative rules (without explicit rule instructions or feedback) by executing examples of motor sequences based on visual cues displayed on the screen (learning). Second, participants were asked to discriminate between correct and incorrect motor sequences beyond those to which they were previously exposed (discrimination). Finally, they were asked to use the rules to generate new hierarchical levels consistent with the previously given (generation). We repeated the procedure (all three phases) on 2 days, allowing for a night of sleep. We found that most participants could discriminate correct/incorrect sequences based on recursive rules and use recursive rules to generate new hierarchical levels in motor sequences, but mostly on the second day of testing, and when they had acquired iterative before recursive rules. This aligns with previous literature on vision and language and with literature showing that sleep is necessary to generate abstract knowledge of motor sequences. Lastly, we found that the ability to discriminate well-formed motor sequences using recursion was insufficient for motor generativity.
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www-wiley-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://osf.io/dbvrn
Author Affiliations: 1SCAN-Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna; 2Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences; 3Institute for Cognitive Studies, Saint Petersburg State University; 4Neuroscience of Perception & Action Laboratory, Italian Institute of Technology; 5Research Group Neurocognition of Music and Language, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics; 6Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; 7Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig