Whether feeling or seeing is more accurate depends on tracking direction within the perception-action cycle.
Coordination in biological systems requires a continuous updating of the perception-action cycle. How the different sources of sensory information contribute uniquely to performance is still debated. Here, we directly compared the role of vision and kinesthesis by means of a tracking task in which the left wrist mimicked the passive motions imposed on the right wrist with a torque motor. The passive movements were perceived visually (alien hand) or kinesthetically (own hand), or a combination thereof (own hand, feel and see). Tracking occurred according to the same (isodirectional) or opposite (mirror-image) directions. Findings revealed that visual tracking was performed most successfully in the isodirectional and kinesthetic tracking in the mirror-image mode. Tracking was most successful when both sources of sensory information were present. These results suggest that vision and proprioception obey direction-dependent constraints that are consistent with extrinsic and intrinsic reference frames within which the perception-action cycle resides. Thus, each sensory modality contributes uniquely as a function of the spatial requirements of the tracking task, rather than one being superior over the other.
Alaerts
Kaat
K
Motor Control Laboratory, Division of Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Katholieke Universtiteit Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium. kaat.alaerts@faber.kuleuven.be
Levin
Oron
O
Swinnen
Stephan P
SP
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*