Eliminating Interlimb Transfer Asymmetry Through Exposure

This study investigated interlimb transfer asymmetry in motor learning and ways to eliminate it. Two experiments were conducted using a laser pistol shooting task. Experiment 1 examined whether interlimb transfer asymmetry occurs in pistol shooting. Right-handed participants trained with either their dominant or nondominant hand. Pretest and posttest were conducted before and after training, with participants using both hands. Results showed that shooting transferred from the dominant to the nondominant hand immediately after training, but not vice versa. Experiment 2 explored whether a training-plus-exposure (TPE) paradigm could eliminate this asymmetry. Three groups trained with their nondominant hand. After training, two exposure groups practiced with their dominant hand using either a mouse-tracking or keyboard-typing task, while the third group rested both hands. Only the tracking exposure group showed complete transfer of skills from the nondominant to the dominant hand. A control group that skipped the training phase did not show improvement in shooting performance. These findings suggest that shooting skills exhibit asymmetric interlimb transfer, which can be eliminated using the TPE paradigm. This challenges existing models of interlimb transfer and has important implications for sports training and rehabilitation.