Because it is common for humans to look at the target just before reaching it (Biguer, Jeannerod, & Prablanc,
1982; Saunders & Knill,
2003; Vercher, Magenes, Prablanc, & Gauthier,
1994), the hand's visual image generally sweeps the peripheral retina in the early phase of the reach. Peripheral vision has been shown to allow rapid adjustments of movement direction (Bard, Hay, & Fleury,
1985; Blouin, Teasdale, Bard, & Fleury,
1993; Paillard,
1996; Proteau, Boivin, Linossier, & Abahnini,
2000; Sarlegna et al.,
2004). The early foveation of the target also implies that the hand appears in the central visual field toward the end of the reach. Such central visual feedback allows adjustments in movement amplitude during the late phase of the reach, according to several studies (Bard, Paillard, Fleury, Hay, & Larue,
1990; Lawrence, Khan, Buckolz, & Oldham,
2006; Sarlegna et al.,
2003). Recent studies demonstrated that central vision is also useful for the online control of movement direction (Proteau et al.,
2009; Saunders & Knill,
2003,
2004). In fact, Bédard and Proteau (
2004) suggested that both the peripheral and central retina are apt at detecting on-line amplitude and direction errors in movements lasting more than 400 ms. This was supported by a study of Saunders and Knill (
2005), who showed that both movement amplitude and direction could be rapidly adjusted based on hand visual feedback (slight differences were found in response latencies but these could be attributed to differences in perceptual sensitivity). On the other hand, several studies reported that peripheral vision does not contribute to the online control of movement amplitude (Bard et al.,
1990; Blouin et al.,
1993; Lawrence et al.,
2006). Such findings may indicate that distinct visual mechanisms underlie the online control of movement amplitude and direction.