Differential contributions of implicit and explicit learning mechanisms to various contextual cues in dual adaptation

Abstract

The ability to switch between different visuomotor maps accurately and efficiently is an invaluable feature to a flexible and adaptive human motor system. This can be examined in dual adaptation paradigms where the motor system is challenged to perform under randomly switching, opposing perturbations. Typically, dual adaptation doesn’t proceed unless each mapping is trained in association with a predictive cue. To investigate this, we first explored whether dual adaptation occurs under a variety of contextual cues including active follow-through movements, passive follow-through movements, active lead-in movements, and static visual cues. In the second experiment, we provided one group with a compensatory strategy about the perturbations (30° CW and 30° CCW rotations) and their relationships to each context (static visual cues). We found that active, but not passive, movement cues elicited dual adaptation. Expectedly, we didn’t find evidence for dual adaptation using static visual cues, but those in the Instruction group compensated by implementing aiming strategies. Then, across all experimental conditions, we explored the extent by which dual learning is supported by both implicit and explicit mechanisms, regardless of whether they elicited dual adaptation across all the various cues. To this end, following perturbed training, participants from all experiments were asked to either use or ignore the strategy as they reached without visual feedback. This Process Dissociation Procedure teased apart the implicit and explicit contributions to dual adaptation. Critically, we didn’t find evidence for implicit learning for those given instructions, suggesting that when explicit aiming strategies are implemented in dual adaptation, implicit mechanisms are likely not involved. Thus, by implementing conscious strategies, dual adaptation can be easily facilitated even in cases where learning would not occur otherwise.