Hand Switching Costs are not Uniform Across Response Components

Abstract

[EN]We investigated the extent to which a complex finger sequence impacts on hand switching costs in a sequential action. Response component latencies (premotor, motor, and movement) were compared in no-switch (same finger per formed the action of pressing and reaching) and switch condi tions (pressing with one finger and completing the reaching action with the homologous finger from the other hand). Results showed that the switch condition presented longer latency for premotor and movement components. For the motor compo nent, however, switch condition was faster. This expands the previous literature investigating switching costs using simple finger movements in more complex tasks. A mechanical expla nation of the interplay between response subcomponents is pro vided to explain the inversion of response pattern for the motor component.