The effect of experienced limb identity upon adaptation to simulated displacement of the visual field

Abstract

Ss were confronted with a situation which mimicked the visuomotor consequences of an 11-deg lateral displacement of the visual field (leftward in Experiment I and rightward in Experiment II). The displacement was effected by having E place his own finger to one side of S's nonvisible finger. Ss who were informed of this deception prior to the exposure period (informed group) manifested significantly less adaptation ("negative aftereffect" and "proprioceptive shift") than did Ss who were told that their vision would be displaced by the goggles which they were wearing (misinformed group). It was concluded that adaptation to visual rearrangement is strongly influenced by S's assumptions regarding the adequacy of his vision and the identity of the manual limb which he is viewing. © 1972 Psychonomic Society, Inc.