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Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping
Published on: April 21, 2023
Hand selection for object grasping is influenced by recent motor history
Kenneth F Valyear1, Scott H Frey
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Brain Imaging Center, 206 Melvin H. Marx Building, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA, kfvalyear@gmail.com.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|September 5, 2013
Summary
Recent hand use influences future action selection. Repeating the same hand for successive tasks improves planning efficiency, suggesting motor memory aids in efficient hand choice.
Area of Science:
- Motor control
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Human motor behavior
Background:
- Action selection is crucial for adaptive motor behavior.
- Prior research indicates task demands and recent experience shape object grasping.
- The impact of recent motor history on hand selection remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of recent motor history on hand selection for successive actions.
- To determine if repeating hand use affects the efficiency of action planning.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed successive object grasping and placement tasks with either their left or right hand.
- Response times for initiating actions were measured.
- Analysis focused on the effect of repeating or alternating hand use between trials.
Main Results:
- Initiating successive actions was faster when the same hand was used compared to alternating hands.
- This planning advantage persisted even with different grasp postures and placement locations.
- No planning benefit was observed for repeated grasps using opposite hands.
Conclusions:
- Hand selection is significantly influenced by recent motor experience.
- Repeating hand use enhances motor planning efficiency, likely due to recalling motor parameters from recent memory.
- Findings support computational efficiency models of motor history effects in action selection.
