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Interrupted object-based updating of reach program leads to a negative compatibility effect
1Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. lari.vainio@helsinki.fi
Journal of Motor Behavior
|June 11, 2009
Summary
Motor programs for reaching are updated by object orientation. Interrupting this object-based updating during movement execution can trigger a negative compatibility effect (NCE).
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Control
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Motor programs guide goal-directed movements like reaching.
- Object properties, such as orientation, influence motor planning.
- Information updating during movement execution is crucial for accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how object-based information updates motor programs during reaching.
- To examine the effect of interrupting object-based updating on reach execution.
- To determine the conditions under which a negative compatibility effect (NCE) emerges during reaching.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed reaching movements towards a graspable object.
- Hand selection was based on object thickness, and reach initiation was timed.
- Object visibility was manipulated during reach execution (removal or masking).
Main Results:
- Reach initiation was faster when object orientation facilitated hand selection (positive compatibility).
- This facilitation reversed to a negative compatibility effect (NCE) when object information was removed mid-reach.
- The NCE occurred when object-based updating was interrupted 300 ms after object onset or at movement onset.
Conclusions:
- Object-based information actively updates ongoing reach motor programs.
- Interruption of this updating process during movement execution is a key factor in triggering the NCE.
- The findings highlight the dynamic nature of motor control and the impact of disrupted sensory feedback.
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