Mechanisms for handling uncertainty in sensorimotor control in sports: a scoping review

Abstract

In complex naturalistic sensorimotor behaviour, uncertainty arises from ambiguities and delays in sensory inputs as well as noise in sensory detection and motor execution. In sports, where human capacity reaches its limits, handling uncertainty is crucial. In fundamental motor-control research, five mechanisms for handling uncertainty–multisensory integration, prior-knowledge integration, risk optimisation, redundancy exploitation, and impedance control–have been proposed based on a rich body of evidence, mostly investigating simple arm and hand movement tasks. Here we review the literature investigating more complex tasks and examine to what extent these mechanisms explain handling uncertainty in sensorimotor control in sports. A systematic search following the PRISMA guidelines resulted in the consideration of 82 studies. These studies provide robust empirical evidence for the mechanisms of multisensory integration, prior-knowledge integration, and redundancy exploitation in complex naturalistic behaviour, whilst only a few publications focused on the other two mechanisms. Furthermore, only a few studies test model-based predictions that can be derived from the theoretical frameworks to a satisfactory extent. Finally, beyond discussing these explanatory mechanisms in isolation, we propose a unifying model that builds upon the theory of optimal feedback control, in which the mechanisms can be related to each other coherently.