Does Training on Broad Band Tactile Stimulation Promote the Generalization of Learning?

Abstract

Given the clear role of sensory feedback in successful motor control, there is a growing interest in integrating substitutionary tactile feedback into robotic limb devices. To enhance the utility of such feedback, here we investigate how to best improve the limited generalization of tactile learning across body parts and stimulus properties. Specifically, we sought to understand how perceptual learning with different types of tactile stimuli may give rise to different patterns of learning generalization. To address this, we utilized vibro-tactile effectors to present patterns of stimulation in a match-to-sample paradigm. One group of participants trained on narrow-band stimulation consisting of simple sinusoidal vibrations, and the other on broad-band stimulation generated from music. We hypothesized that training on broad-band tactile stimulation would promote greater generalization of learning outcomes. We found training with broad-band stimuli generalized to underlying stimulus features of frequency discrimination but showed weaker generalization to un-trained digits. This study provides a first step towards devising perceptual learning paradigms that will generalize broadly to the untrained perceptual contexts.