Intermanual Cross–Talk Effects in Unimanual Choice Reactions

Abstract

Intermanual interactions originate at different levels of motor control. Interactions during specification of movement characteristics should affect reaction time for choice between left–hand and right–hand movements. In two experiments combinations of short and long target amplitudes for reversal movements of the left and right hand were cued with variable precueing intervals. Upon presentation of the response signal a unimanual left–hand or right–hand movement had to be produced. Reaction time was faster when same target amplitudes were precued than when different target amplitudes were. At short precueing intervals the longer reaction time with different target amplitudes (early effect) was accompanied by an amplitude assimilation: Short amplitudes were too long, and long amplitudes were too short. At longer precueing intervals the longer reaction time with different target amplitudes (late effect) was accompanied by a higher choice accuracy. These findings are taken to indicate a transient parametric coupling of amplitude specifications, which produces the early and the late effects by way of different mechanisms–namely different degrees of advance specification and generalized de–coupling, which affects the process of choice between hands.