ABSTRACT
In a series of experiments designed to examine the separate storage of distance and location cues, the avilability of movement information was manipulated in a distance reproduction paradigm. Location information was altered by varying the time spent at the movement endpoints, and distance information was manipulated by either omitting, disrupting, or augmenting the dynamic phase of the movement. Experiment 1 supported the hypothesis that distance representation was dependent on location cues, as distance representation was altered by interpolated information processing activity when the location cues were minimal. Since providing only movement endpoint information reduced distance reproduction accuracy, Experiment 2 showed that location extrapolation was not the sole determiner of distance representation. In Experiments 3 and 4, distance representation was found to be enhanced by repetition and disrupted by movement reversals, whereas augmented location information stabilized accuracy across movement amplitude. Although the findings of the latter experiments suggested a separate storage code for distance information, there was a consistent interaction of movement-starting positions with distance accuracy. These results, taken together, emphasize the interdependence of the two movement cues, and argue that distance memory representation is dependent upon the relative amount of distance and location information present in the criterion movement. The findings militate against a dual storage mode concept for movement cues.
