Similarity of Movements and Interlimb Transfer

Abstract

Interlimb transfer is the phenomenon where training a novel task on one limb benefits the performance on the untrained limb. However, there are currently a lot of differences in the data pertaining to transfer, including how much learning transfers and the asymmetrical pattern in which it occurs. Perhaps the perceived similarity of movements affects how learning transfers? The concept of similarity has been proven to be asymmetrical in nature. For example, saying that object A is similar to object B does not translate to object B being equally similar to object A. There has not been much research on similarity and movements, let alone in the context of interlimb transfer. This study looked at how people perceive the similarity of different reaching movements on a visuomotor task. By seeing how people rate the similarity of different movements, it hoped to gather useful information that could potentially help explain the current asymmetries in interlimb transfer studies.