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Updated: Jun 12, 2026
13:00
Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
Published on: January 23, 2017
The one that does, leads: action relations influence the perceived temporal order of graspable objects
Katherine L Roberts1, Glyn W Humphreys
1Brain and Behavioural Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT England. k.l.roberts.1@bham.ac.uk
Summary
Perception of action is influenced by environmental affordances. Normal viewers perceive active objects as appearing earlier when correctly positioned for action, suggesting action
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Perception Research
Background:
- Perception and action are linked to environmental affordances.
- Neuropsychological studies show interacting objects are perceptually integrated.
- Parietal damage patients prioritize 'active' items when positioned for action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if normal viewers perceive active objects as appearing earlier when positioned for action.
- To determine if this effect depends on learned relationships or perceptual integration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a temporal order judgment task.
- Presented pairs of objects positioned for potential interaction.
Main Results:
- Normal viewers judged active objects as appearing earlier when correctly positioned for action.
- This temporal judgment was independent of learned object relationships.
- The effect persisted even without perceptual integration of the object pair.
Conclusions:
- Action affordances of correctly positioned objects influence normal perceptual judgments.
- The perception of temporal order is modulated by potential actions.
- This suggests a direct link between action possibilities and perceptual timing.
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