The Dynamics of Goal-Directed Visual-Manual Coordination to Multiple Feature Objects: An Embodiment Perspective

Embodied cognition posits that cognitive processes are deeply intertwined with bodily experiences and interactions with the environment. It is not known how visual-manual coordination (visual: Initial Attention/Sustained Attention and Manual: action planning/selection/execution) changes dynamically across planning and executing goal-directed behaviors to objects with multiple features. Therefore, this study attempts to answer questions regarding how visual attention responds to objects with multiple features, how manual reaching influences the visual selection of object properties, and what changes occur in visual-manual coordination before and during reaching. An embodiment perspective is used to explain the role of goal-directed actions on the perception of multiple feature objects resulting in visual-manual coordination. From an embodiment perspective, I suggest that pre-selection of the hand facilitates more efficient goal-directed coordination than visual attention or object-feature-saliency alone. I further suggest that the role of object features is to facilitate more efficient and sophisticated visual-manual coordination, but only when the object features are aligned spatially with the intended motor command. Moreover, from an embodiment perspective, I suggest that shifts in visual attention from action planning to execution are spatially and temporally contingent on the sensorimotor/proprioceptive aspects that are relevant to the goal of the task.

We explore the dynamic interplay between perception and action by having 18 right-handed adults (9 Females, 9 Males) participate in a series of 36 looking and reaching trials involving objects with various features, including shape, asymmetry, details (stickers), and spatial incongruence. Visual fixations were collected using remote eye-tracking.

This study's relevance lies in its contribution to the growing body of research on embodied cognition, providing valuable insights into how the human mind and body collaboratively adapt to the complexities of the surrounding environment. Understanding the mechanisms underlying visual-manual coordination has implications for various fields, including neuroscience, psychology, human-computer interaction, and rehabilitation sciences. By unraveling the intricacies of embodied cognitive processes, this research enhances our knowledge of human agency, paving the way for applications in fields where precise coordination suggests efficient goal-directed behaviors.