title: Beneficial effects of ambiguous precues: parallel motor preparation or reduced premotoric processing time?
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying movement preprogramming in situations where informative but ambiguous precue information is used. In a response precuing task that involved flexion or extension movements with the right or left index finger, a spatially compatible precue conveyed partial information about side, about direction, no parameter information (ambiguous condition), or no information at all. Advance movement preparation was indicated by reaction-time shortening for all informative precue conditions. The analysis of stimulus- and response-locked lateralized readiness potential onsets revealed a clear and exclusive motoric origin of the ambiguous-precue benefit. Additional analyses ruled out a strategic trial by trial choice of just one of the two ambiguous alternatives and provided evidence for a parallel preparation of both response alternatives when information only about direction or ambiguous precue information is provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK. ijentzsch@psy.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jentzsch
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leuthold
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Richard Ridderinkhof
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology