The contribution of visual pursuit to prediction in a naturalistic interception task

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that pursuit of a target moving in 2D facilitates judgments related to its future trajectory [1], and improves performance when pointing to intercept [2]. However, it is unclear if pursuit aids prediction when the target also moves in depth, as in the real world. To investigate, we recorded the gaze and motor behavior of subjects tasked with catching virtual balls seen through a head mounted display. The virtual ball was “blanked” for 500 ms of its flight. Between-trial manipulation of the pre-blank duration was intended to test the contribution of early visual information to prediction across the blank (600, 800, or 1000 ms). Between trial manipulation of the post-blank duration was used to indirectly affect the angular velocity of the ball at reappearance; at shorter post-blank durations, the ball will appear closer to the subject, moving more quickly through angular space (300, 400, or 500ms). Initial analysis yields some evidence of benefits from pursuit to catching error.