The use of head/eye-centered, hand-centered and allocentric representations for visually guided hand movements and perceptual judgments

Two experiments are reported that were designed to measure the accuracy and reliability of both visually guided hand movements (Exp. 1) and perceptual matching judgments (Exp. 2). The specific procedure for informing subjects of the required response on each trial was manipulated so that some tasks could only be performed using an allocentric representation of the visual target; others could be performed using either an allocentric or hand-centered representation; still others could be performed based on an allocentric, hand-centered or head/eye-centered representation. Both head/eye and hand centered representations are egocentric because they specify visual coordinates with respect to the subject. The results reveal that accuracy and reliability of both motor and perceptual responses are highest when subjects direct their response towards a visible target location, which allows them to rely on a representation of the target in head/eye-centered coordinates. Systematic changes in averages and standard deviations of responses are observed when subjects cannot direct their response towards a visible target location, but have to represent target distance and direction in either hand-centered or allocentric visual coordinates instead. Subjects’ motor and perceptual performance agree quantitatively well. These results strongly suggest that subjects process head/eye-centered representations differently from hand-centered or allocentric representations, but that they process visual information for motor actions and perceptual judgments together.