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Learned perceptual associations influence visuomotor programming under limited conditions: cues as surface patterns
Angela M Haffenden1, Melvyn A Goodale
1CIHR Group on Action and Perception, Psychology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C2, Canada.
Experimental Brain Research
|November 22, 2002
Summary
Visuomotor programming uses learned size information differently based on perceptual cues. Grip scaling changed only when cues covered the entire block surface, not just small elements.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Perception
Background:
- Visuomotor programming integrates sensory information for motor control.
- Learned size information can influence visuomotor tasks under specific conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how learned size associations, conveyed by different perceptual cues, affect visuomotor programming.
- To determine if the extent of the perceptual cue influences the utilization of learned size information.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments associated block size with perceptual cues (shape, surface pattern, color).
- Participants grasped blocks and estimated their size manually.
- Grip scaling and size estimations were recorded.
Main Results:
- Learned associations altered perceived size, with cues linked to larger objects yielding smaller perceived sizes.
- Grip scaling was unaffected when cues were small elements but changed when cues covered the block surface.
- Perceived size changes were attributed to relative-size comparisons with cued categories.
Conclusions:
- Visuomotor programming's use of learned size information depends on the cue's presentation.
- Surface-covering cues are more effective in modulating grip scaling, suggesting they provide more robust information.
- This implies that the nature of the perceptual cue significantly impacts how learned size information is integrated into motor control.