How vision contributes to our interactions with objects in common tasks has been studied both by analyzing eye movements (e.g., Brenner & Smeets,
2007,
2011a; Johansson, Westling, Bäckström, & Flanagan,
2001; Land & Hayhoe,
2001; Mrotek & Soechting,
2007) and by removing vision at specific times (e.g., Brenner & Smeets,
2011a; Dessing, Oostwoud-Wijdenes, Peper, & Beek,
2009; López-Moliner, Brenner, Louw, & Smeets,
2010; Marinovic, Plooy, & Tresilian,
2009; Spijkers & Spellerberg,
1995; van Soest et al.,
2010). Not surprisingly, seeing the target object increases the accuracy with which the hand approaches it (e.g., Brenner & Smeets,
2011a; Carlton,
1981; Desmurget & Grafton,
2000; Elliott & Allard,
1985; Elliott, Binsted, & Heath,
1999; Elliott, Carson, Goodman, & Chua,
1991; Prablanc, Péllison, & Goodale,
1986; Spijkers and Spellerberg,
1995). Seeing the target also allows one to respond if the target is displaced while the hand is moving toward it (Brenner & Smeets,
1997; Desmurget et al.,
1999; Desmurget, Péllison, Rossetti, & Prablanc,
1998; Gréa et al.,
2002; Kertzman, Schwarz, Zeffiro, & Hallett,
1996; Oostwoud-Wijdenes, Brenner, & Smeets,
2011; Pisella et al.,
2000; Prablanc & Martin,
1992). People generally look at the target, rather than the hand. Seeing the hand is presumably less important because people can feel where it is. Nevertheless, people do respond to changes in visual feedback about the position of the hand (Saunders & Knill,
2003,
2004,
2005) or of a cursor representing the hand (Brenner & Smeets,
2003a).