Next Article in Journal
MAMVCL: Multi-Atlas Guided Multi-View Contrast Learning for Autism Spectrum Disorder Classification
Previous Article in Journal
Region-Specific Long-Term Transcriptional Changes in the Plasminogen Activation System and Neuroinflammation in the Rat Brain After Status Epilepticus: Association with Depressive-like Behavior
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Review

Mobile Typing as a Window into Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function

1
Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 64/B, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
2
Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(10), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101084
Submission received: 18 September 2025 / Revised: 30 September 2025 / Accepted: 7 October 2025 / Published: 7 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Sensory and Motor Neuroscience)

Abstract

The rapid evolution of human–technology interaction necessitates continuous sensorimotor adaptation to new digital interfaces and tasks. Mobile typing, defined as text entry on smartphone touchscreens, offers a compelling example of this process, requiring users to adapt fine motor control and coordination to a constrained virtual environment. Aligned with the embodied cognition framework, understanding these digital sensorimotor experiences is crucial. A key theoretical question is whether these skills primarily involve adaptation of existing motor patterns or necessitate de novo learning, a distinction particularly relevant across generations with differing early sensorimotor experiences. This narrative review synthesizes current understanding of the sensorimotor aspects of smartphone engagement and typing skill evaluation methods. It examines touchscreen competence, skill acquisition, diverse strategies employed, and the influence of interface constraints on motor performance, while also detailing various sophisticated performance metrics and analyzing different data collection methodologies. Research highlights that analyzing typing behaviors and their underlying neural correlates increasingly serves as a potential source of behavioral biomarkers. However, while notable progress has been made, the field is still developing, requiring stronger methodological foundations and crucial standardization of metrics and protocols to fully capture and understand the dynamic sensorimotor processes involved in digital interactions. Nevertheless, mobile typing emerges as a compelling model for advancing our understanding of human sensorimotor learning and cognitive function, offering a rich, ecologically valid platform for investigating human-world interaction.
Keywords: mobile typing; sensorimotor adaptation; skill acquisition; cognitive function; behavioral biomarkers; cortical plasticity mobile typing; sensorimotor adaptation; skill acquisition; cognitive function; behavioral biomarkers; cortical plasticity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Viviani, L.; Liso, A.; Craighero, L. Mobile Typing as a Window into Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function. Brain Sci. 2025, 15, 1084. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101084

AMA Style

Viviani L, Liso A, Craighero L. Mobile Typing as a Window into Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function. Brain Sciences. 2025; 15(10):1084. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101084

Chicago/Turabian Style

Viviani, Lorenzo, Alba Liso, and Laila Craighero. 2025. "Mobile Typing as a Window into Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function" Brain Sciences 15, no. 10: 1084. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101084

APA Style

Viviani, L., Liso, A., & Craighero, L. (2025). Mobile Typing as a Window into Sensorimotor and Cognitive Function. Brain Sciences, 15(10), 1084. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15101084

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop