title: Perception-action coupling during bimanual coordination: the role of visual perception in the coalition of constraints that govern bimanual action.
abstract: Constraints pertaining to interlimb coordination have been studied extensively in the past decades. In this debate, F. Mechsner (2004) has taken a provocative position by putting primary emphasis on perceptual principles that mediate coordinative stability. Whereas the present authors agree that the role of perceptual principles is of critical importance during coordination, they take issue with Mechsner's extreme position and with the evidence forwarded to support a purely perceptual-cognitive approach to bimanual coordination. More specifically, the authors emphasize that current knowledge about brain function argues against a dualism between perception and action, criticize the presented evidence that posture manipulations during coordination provide decisive evidence against motoric and muscular constraints, and report on potential pitfalls associated with the use of visual transformation procedures to support complex coordination patterns.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Motor Control, Department of Kinesiology, K. U. Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium. Stephan.Swinnen@faber.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Stephan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Swinnen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dounskaia
authors.forename: Winston
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Byblow
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stinear
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagemans
mesh_terms: D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*