The location of a reported movement strategy influences visuomotor adaptation

Research has established a critical role for movement strategies in visuomotor adaptation. Here, we looked to determine the impact of the locus of one's movement strategy on visuomotor adaptation. Two groups of participants were asked to report their planned movement strategy with respect to (i) the direction their hand should aim (initial direction group), or (ii) where their hand should end (final direction group) in order for a cursor on the screen to land on the target. Cursor feedback was rotated 40° clockwise relative to hand motion. Movement strategy reports were completed on 25% of training trials (e.g., once every four trials). A third group of participants did not provide a strategy report prior to reaching (control group). Results revealed that the initial direction group compensated for the visuomotor rotation to a greater extent early in training compared to both the final direction and control groups. By the end of training, visuomotor adaptation was still greater in the initial direction group compared to the control group. Movement strategy reports differed between the initial direction and final direction groups across training, such that the initial direction group reported values corresponding to larger movement strategies, varied their reported strategies to a greater extent from trial to trial, and executed reaches that were closer to their reported movement strategy compared to the final direction group. Finally, following visuomotor adaptation, the initial direction group exhibited greater explicit adaptation compared to the control group. Together, these results indicate that reporting a movement strategy regarding the initial direction the hand should aim benefits early visuomotor adaptation, potentially due to a greater contribution of explicit processes. New & Noteworthy Engaging in movement strategies benefits visuomotor adaptation, with a movement strategy regarding one's initial hand direction providing a distinct advantage. Results indicated that reporting the planned initial direction of one's movement led to greater visuomotor adaptation early in training, and greater explicit contributions following visuomotor adaptation, compared to those who reported their final direction or did not report a movement strategy at all. These findings highlight that the locus of one's movement strategy impacts visuomotor adaptation and the engagement of underlying explicit processes.