Awareness of the Outcome of Self-Initiated Pointing Actions

Abstract

ABSTRACTAre we aware of the outcome of our actions? The participants pointed rapidly at a screen location marked by a transient visual target (T), with and without seeing their hand, and were asked to estimate (E) their landing location (L) using the same finger but without time constraints. We found that L and E are systematically and idiosyncratically shifted away from their corresponding targets (T, L), suggesting unawareness. Moreover, E was biased away from L, toward T (21% and 37%, with and without visual feedback), in line with a putative Bayesian account of the results, assuming a strong prior in the absence of vision. However, L (the assumed prior) and E (the assumed posterior) precisions were practically identical, arguing against such an account of the results. Instead, the results are well accounted for by a simple model positing that the participants’ E is set to the planned rather than the actual L. When asked to estimate their landing location, participants appeared to reenact their original motor plan.