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Interaction between gaze and visual and proprioceptive position judgements

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Abstract

There is considerable evidence that targets for action are represented in a dynamic gaze-centered frame of reference, such that each gaze shift requires an internal updating of the target. Here, we investigated the effect of eye movements on the spatial representation of targets used for position judgements. Participants had their hand passively placed to a location, and then judged whether this location was left or right of a remembered visual or remembered proprioceptive target, while gaze direction was varied. Estimates of position of the remembered targets relative to the unseen position of the hand were assessed with an adaptive psychophysical procedure. These positional judgements significantly varied relative to gaze for both remembered visual and remembered proprioceptive targets. Our results suggest that relative target positions may also be represented in eye-centered coordinates. This implies similar spatial reference frames for action control and space perception when positions are coded relative to the hand.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grant Fi 1567/2-2 from the German Research Foundation (DFG) assigned to Katja Fiehler and Frank Rösler, the DFG research unit FOR 560 ‘Perception and Action' and by the TransCoop-Program from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation assigned to Katja Fiehler and Denise Y.P. Henriques. We thank Patricia Franke for her help in collecting and analyzing data, Oguz Balandi for programming the experiment and Johanna Reuschel for supporting the artwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Gutenbergstr. 18, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Katja Fiehler & Frank Rösler

  2. School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Center for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Canada

    Denise Y. P. Henriques

Authors
  1. Katja Fiehler
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  2. Frank Rösler
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  3. Denise Y. P. Henriques
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Correspondence to Katja Fiehler.

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Fiehler, K., Rösler, F. & Henriques, D.Y.P. Interaction between gaze and visual and proprioceptive position judgements. Exp Brain Res 203, 485–498 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-010-2251-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-010-2251-1

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