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Updated: May 18, 2026
11:09
RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans
Published on: July 17, 2021
Are tool properties always processed automatically? The role of tool use context and task complexity.
Jennifer Randerath1, Kimberley R Martin, Scott H Frey
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-3470, USA. J_Randerath@hotmail.com
Summary
Tool handle perception automatically activates grasping actions. This automatic activation interferes with rule-based grip selection but not active planning, suggesting planning overwrites automatic responses.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Motor Control
- Action Representation
Background:
- Perceiving a tool's orientation may automatically trigger cognitive processes for grasping and use in healthy adults.
- Evidence for automatic activation comes from interference effects when action representations conflict with task demands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate automatic activation effects in grip selection tasks.
- To compare interference in a rule-based task versus an anticipatory planning task.
- To determine if prior tool use primes automatic activation and affects grip selection.
Main Methods:
- Participants pantomimed grasping horizontally oriented tools with handles.
- A Rule task used color cues to dictate thumb placement on the handle.
- A Plan task required participants to choose the most comfortable grasp and rotation for a specific end-position.
Main Results:
- Interference in grip selection occurred only in the Rule task.
- Interference was observed exclusively when the Rule task was preceded by a tool use prime task.
- No interference effects were found in the Plan task, even after the Use task.
Conclusions:
- Prior activation of cognitive components through tool use can persist and interfere with rule-based grip selection.
- Active planning mechanisms in the Plan task appear to override automatic activation from prior tool use.
- Findings suggest distinct cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying automatic versus planned grip selection.
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