The Effects of Visual and Proprioceptive Feedback on Motor Learning

Abstract

A self paced linear positioning task was used to study the effects of visual and proprioceptive feedback on learning and performance. Subjects were trained with knowledge of results (KR) and tested without it. The analysis of the absolute error scores of the no-KR trials is discussed in this paper. Visual feedback was the more effective source of sensory feedback, but proprioceptive feedback was also effective. An observation that the response did not become independent of sensory feedback as a result of learning, was interpreted as supporting Adams closed loop theory of motor learning in preference to the motor program hypothesis. Other data showed that the presence of visual feedback during learning could inhibit the later effectiveness of proprioceptive feedback.