Seeing the last part of a hitting movement is enough to adapt to a temporal delay

Abstract

Being able to see the object that you are aiming for is evidently useful for guiding the hand to a moving object. We examined to what extent seeing the moving hand also influences performance. Subjects tried to intercept moving targets while either instantaneous or delayed feedback about the moving hand was provided at certain times. After each attempt, subjects had to indicate whether they thought they had hit the target, had passed ahead of it, or had passed behind it. Providing visual feedback early in the movement enabled subjects to use visual information about the moving hand to correct their movements. Providing visual feedback when the moving hand passed the target helped them judge how they had performed. Performance was almost as good when visual feedback about the moving hand was provided only when the hand was passing the target as when it was provided throughout the movement. We conclude that seeing the temporal relationship between the hand and the target as the hand crosses the target's path is instrumental for adapting to a temporal delay.