TY - JOUR

T1 - Now and then

T2 - Hand choice is influenced by recent action history

AU - Valyear, Kenneth F.

AU - Fitzpatrick, Aoife M.

AU - Dundon, Neil M.

N1 - The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/[10.3758/s13423-018-1510-1]

PY - 2019/2

Y1 - 2019/2

N2 - Action choices are influenced by recent past and predicted future action states. Here we demonstrate that recent hand choice history affects both current hand choices and response times to initiate actions. Participants reach to contact visible targets using one hand. Hand choice is biased in favour of which hand was used recently, in particular when the biomechanical costs of responding with either hand are similar, and repeated choices lead to reduced response times. These effects are also found to positively correlate. Participants who show strong effects of recent history on hand choice also tend to show strong effects of recent history on response times. The data are consistent with a computational efficiency interpretation whereby repeated action choices confer computational gains in the efficiency of underpinning processes. We discuss our results within the framework of this model, and with respect to balancing predicted gains and losses, and speculate about the possible underlying mechanisms in neural terms.

AB - Action choices are influenced by recent past and predicted future action states. Here we demonstrate that recent hand choice history affects both current hand choices and response times to initiate actions. Participants reach to contact visible targets using one hand. Hand choice is biased in favour of which hand was used recently, in particular when the biomechanical costs of responding with either hand are similar, and repeated choices lead to reduced response times. These effects are also found to positively correlate. Participants who show strong effects of recent history on hand choice also tend to show strong effects of recent history on response times. The data are consistent with a computational efficiency interpretation whereby repeated action choices confer computational gains in the efficiency of underpinning processes. We discuss our results within the framework of this model, and with respect to balancing predicted gains and losses, and speculate about the possible underlying mechanisms in neural terms.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Biomechanical Phenomena

KW - Choice Behavior

KW - Female

KW - Functional Laterality/physiology

KW - Hand/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Psychomotor Performance/physiology

KW - Reaction Time

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.3758/s13423-018-1510-1

DO - 10.3758/s13423-018-1510-1

M3 - Article

VL - 26

SP - 305

EP - 314

JO - Psychonomic Bulletin and Review

JF - Psychonomic Bulletin and Review

SN - 1069-9384

IS - 1

ER -