Is static force information sufficient?
These results are consistent with the hypothesis that environmental force information acquired during motor learning can influence how the motion of nearby targets is predicted. Under the “motor learning hypothesis,” the motor system must learn to compensate for an environmental force (i.e., establish a predictive model of force direction effects on limb dynamics) before effects on visual prediction will be observed. An equally compelling alternative, however, is that motor learning is not required but that concurrent presentation of static proprioceptive force information to the hand and visual motion information to the eye is sufficient to drive effects of force direction on response timing and interception success rates. Under the “multisensory integration hypothesis,” motor learning is not necessary because when motor and visual information about the environment are presented concurrently, this information is integrated in a direct manner. We tried to disentangle these two hypothes
