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Abstract

Adaptation to specific visuomotor conflicts becomes faster with repetition. What is learned when repeatedly switching between different visuomotor mappings: the absolute mappings or the relative shift between the mappings? To test this, we trained participants in a rapid pointing task using a unique colour cue for each mapping between pointing location and visual feedback. After extensive training, participants adapted to a new mapping using a neutral cue. For catch trials (a change in cue and no visual feedback) different adaptation performances are predicted depending on how the mappings are encoded. When encoding an absolute mapping for each cue, participants would fall back to the mapping associated with the cue irrespective of the mapping prior to the cue-switch. In contrast, when for the cue-switch a shift in mapping is encoded, pointing performance will shift relative to the mapping prior cue-switch by an amount equal to the difference between the previously learned mappings. Results indicate that the
cues signal absolute visuomotor mappings rather than relative shifts between mappings.