Does ‘virtuality’ affect the role of prior expectations in perception and action? Comparing predictive grip and lifting forces in real and virtual environments

Abstract

Recent theories in cognitive science propose that prior expectations strongly influence how individuals perceive the world and control their actions. This influence is particularly relevant in novel sensory environments, such as virtual reality (VR). This registered report outlines a study examining the impact of VR on prediction-related sensory perception and motor control during object lifting. We aim to test two competing hypotheses: the Low-Precision Priors (LPP) hypothesis suggests reduced influence of prior expectations in VR due to the novelty and uncertainty of the context, while the High-Precision Priors (HPP) hypothesis posits increased reliance on predictions due to sensory uncertainty. We will employ weight illusion tasks (the size-weight and material-weight illusions) to isolate the effects of expectations on perception and action. We will also investigate the relationship between presence and predictive sensorimotor control, the way in which ‘virtuality’ affects motor learning, and how learning is transferred between physical reality and virtual environments. This research addresses crucial questions about how virtual environments impact predictive sensorimotor control and has implications for applications of VR technologies to training and rehabilitation.