Dual-task interference is greater in delayed grasping than in visually guided grasping.

Previous kinematic research suggests that visually guided grasping employs an accurate real-time control system in the dorsal stream, whereas delayed grasping relies on less accurate stored information derived by the perceptual system in the ventral stream. We explored these ideas in two experiments combining visually guided and delayed grasping with auditory tasks involving perception-based imagery and semantic memory. In both experiments, participants were cued to grasp three-dimensional objects of varying sizes. During visually guided trials, objects were visible during the interval between the cue and movement onset. During delayed trials, objects were occluded at the time of the cue. In Experiment 1, the second task required participants to listen to object names and vocally respond if the objects were of a particular shape. In Experiment 2, participants studied a paired-associates list prior to testing and then performed cued recall while grasping. The results of these experiments showed that there was reciprocal interference on both tasks, which was consistently greater during delayed grasping. Experiment 2 showed that the introduction of the second task resulted in larger grip apertures during delayed grasping. This supports the idea that delayed grasping involves processing of stored perception-based information that shares resources with cross-modal tasks involving imagery and memory.