The contributors to this book are all distinguished, internationally-known specialists working in the motor control and learning area. The result is a unique collection of papers that discuss many aspects of this intricate and diverse subject and at the same time manage to provide the reader with a good overview of the major topics.

This book appraises the main theoretical ideas currently characteristic of the motor behavior field, bringing together contributions from many internationally known scientists who are doing this important research. Much of the work presented utilizes new recording techniques aimed at obtaining a complete kinematic account of how movement is executed. The motor behavior field as described in this volume is dominated by approaches which emphasize the dynamics and kinematics of movement. There is also an emphasis on new electrophysiological measures. The volume is organized into several sections based on specific themes. Chapters contained in each section discuss many currently debated questions in the field concerning motor mechanisms and their implementation for motor control.

Preparation is a term that is used quite freely during private, informal discussions. As the argument becomes more formal and more public, “priming,” “ feed-forward” and similar jargon terms take its place, presumably because they are better defined, safer, and more acceptable. However, in spite of the caution that surrounds its use, it is clear that “preparation” denotes a useful concept. The purpose of the Franco-American Conference on Preparatory States and Processes was to try to clarify this concept by inviting investigators from different specialties in the behavioral and neural sciences to present and discuss illustrations of the use of the concept from their own work.

Preparation is a term that is used quite freely during private, informal discussions. As the argument becomes more formal and more public, “priming,” “ feed-forward” and similar jargon terms take its place, presumably because they are better defined, safer, and more acceptable. However, in spite of the caution that surrounds its use, it is clear that “preparation” denotes a useful concept. The purpose of the Franco-American Conference on Preparatory States and Processes was to try to clarify this concept by inviting investigators from different specialties in the behavioral and neural sciences to present and discuss illustrations of the use of the concept from their own work.

The contributors to this book are all distinguished, internationally-known specialists working in the motor control and learning area. The result is a unique collection of papers that discuss many aspects of this intricate and diverse subject and at the same time manage to provide the reader with a good overview of the major topics.

This book appraises the main theoretical ideas currently characteristic of the motor behavior field, bringing together contributions from many internationally known scientists who are doing this important research. Much of the work presented utilizes new recording techniques aimed at obtaining a complete kinematic account of how movement is executed. The motor behavior field as described in this volume is dominated by approaches which emphasize the dynamics and kinematics of movement. There is also an emphasis on new electrophysiological measures. The volume is organized into several sections based on specific themes. Chapters contained in each section discuss many currently debated questions in the field concerning motor mechanisms and their implementation for motor control.

Preparation is a term that is used quite freely during private, informal discussions. As the argument becomes more formal and more public, “priming,” “ feed-forward” and similar jargon terms take its place, presumably because they are better defined, safer, and more acceptable. However, in spite of the caution that surrounds its use, it is clear that “preparation” denotes a useful concept. The purpose of the Franco-American Conference on Preparatory States and Processes was to try to clarify this concept by inviting investigators from different specialties in the behavioral and neural sciences to present and discuss illustrations of the use of the concept from their own work.

Preparation is a term that is used quite freely during private, informal discussions. As the argument becomes more formal and more public, “priming,” “ feed-forward” and similar jargon terms take its place, presumably because they are better defined, safer, and more acceptable. However, in spite of the caution that surrounds its use, it is clear that “preparation” denotes a useful concept. The purpose of the Franco-American Conference on Preparatory States and Processes was to try to clarify this concept by inviting investigators from different specialties in the behavioral and neural sciences to present and discuss illustrations of the use of the concept from their own work.