Plans for grasping objects

Abstract

Through the lens of prehension research, we consider how motor planning is influenced by people’s perception of, and their intentions for how to act in, the environment. We review some noteworthy prehension phenomena, including a number of studies from our own labs which demonstrate the “end-state comfort effect”, the discovery of sequential effects in motion planning, and the finding that postural end states are known before movements begin. The existence of these phenomena highlights the role that mental representation plays in motor control. We review a recent model of motor control which can account for both perception-related and intention-related features of motion planning.