Real-Life Motor Training Modifies Spatial Performance: The Advantage of Being Drummers

Abstract

We compared the performance of skilled drummers with that of nondrummers and nonmusicians in the Simon and spatial stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) tasks to investigate whether and to what extent spatial performance can be modified by motor behaviors acquired in real life. Drummers were chosen because, compared with other musicians and the general population, their efficient performance depends mainly on the processing of spatial information. Although the Simon effect was equivalent for the three groups, the spatial SRC effect was less pronounced in drummers. The advantage was present even when feet were used as responding effectors, suggesting a central locus of the effect. These results suggest that spatial stimulus-response translations are influenced by real-life motor training, with drummers' training speeding up the intentional stimulus-response translations when stimulus and response locations are on opposite sides.