Movement paths in operating hand-held tools: tests of distal-shift hypotheses

Extending the body with a tool could imply that characteristics of hand movements become characteristics of the movement of the effective part of the tool. Recent research suggests that such distal shifts are subject to boundary conditions. Here we propose the existence of three constraints: a strategy constraint, a constraint of movement characteristics, and a constraint of mode of control. We investigate their validity for the curvature of transverse movements aimed at a target while using a sliding first-order lever. Participants moved the tip of the effort arm of a real or virtual lever to control a cursor representing movements of the tip of the load arm of the lever on a monitor. With this tool, straight transverse hand movements are associated with concave curvature of the path of the tip of the tool. With terminal visual feedback and when targets were presented for the hand, hand paths were slightly concave in the absence of the dynamic transformation of the tool and slightly convex in its presence. When targets were presented for the tip of the lever, both the concave and convex curvatures of the hand paths became stronger. Finally, with continuous visual feedback of the tip of the lever, curvature of hand paths became convex and concave curvature of the paths of the tip of the lever was reduced. In addition, the effect of the dynamic transformation on curvature was attenuated. These findings support the notion that distal shifts are subject to at least the three proposed constraints.