Dissociating visual attention and effector selection in spatial precuing tasks

In this study the authors tested and rejected a recent proposal that response precuing effects depend on the spatial extent of the precues rather than on the number of response choices. Moreover, the authors tested and supported the hypothesis that the number of effectors in the response set is an important determinant of spatial precuing effects. Results of 4 experiments consistently showed that keypress responses generated a qualitatively different pattern of precuing effects than did pointing and detection responses. Together, the results establish a strong dissociation between planning pointing responses and planning keypress responses and suggest that precuing effects in 1-effector and multiple-effector visuomotor tasks are dominated by distinct and separate mechanisms, visual attention and effector selection, respectively.