Univ.-Prof. Dr. Tobias Heed | (Some) hidden experimental assumptions in sensorimotor neuroscience

We’re all aware that the methods we apply shape the results we get. Nevertheless, it is common scientific practice to stick to a (very) small number of experimental tasks, often without explicitly validating (or even stating) the assumptions they imply. I illustrate the potential pitfalls of this practice in three studies picked from my lab’s work: a seemingly simple tactile localization task we’re running to develop a valid clinical task; a tactile-spatial decision task involving limb crossing that addresses some gaps left by previous tactile ”localization” tasks; and an attempt to move a highly controlled movement decision task into a (somewhat) life-like context. For each case, I highlight how unexamined underlying assumptions have led to incorrect, or at least doubtful, interpretations.