How visual and proprioceptive feedback mediate the effect of monetary incentive on motor precision

This paper investigates the relationship between motor precision, visual feedback, and monetary incentives in two experiments. In both, participants exerted force via a hand dynamometer to maintain force production at identified levels while we manipulated the quality of visual feedback regarding their performance. In Experiment 1, monetary incentives improved motor performance only when visual feedback was provided. In Experiment 2, we simplified target representation by reducing the number of targets, making them easier to distinguish via proprioception and somatosensation. Under these conditions, incentives enhanced performance even without visual feedback. These findings suggest that while visual feedback is key to mediating motivational effects on fine motor control, incentives can also directly enhance performance when targets are easily represented through proprioceptive cues.