Visual and tactile action effects determine bimanual coordination performance.
Effect-based models of motor control assign a crucial role to anticipated perceptual feedback in action planning. Two experiments were conducted to test the validity of this proposal for discrete bimanual key press responses. The results revealed that the normally observed performance advantage for the preparation of two responses with homologous rather than non-homologous fingers becomes inverted when homologous fingers produce non-identical visual effects, and non-homologous fingers produce identical visual effects. In the second experiment the finger homology effect was strongly reduced when homologous fingers produced non-identical tactile feedback. The results show that representations of to-be-produced visual and tactile action effects both contribute to action planning, though possibly to a varying degree. Implications of these results for effect-based models of motor control are considered.
Janczyk
Markus
M
Dortmund University of Technology, Department of Psychology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany. janczyk@fk14.uni-dortmund.de
Skirde
Stefanie
S
Weigelt
Matthias
M
Kunde
Wilfried
W
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D056228:Feedback, Sensory / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011603:Psychophysiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult