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A direct effect of perception on action when grasping a cup
E Rounis1, V van Polanen2, M Davare2,3
1Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. Elisabeth.Rounis@ndcn.ox.ac.uk.
Scientific Reports
|January 11, 2018
Summary
Object affordances, like cup handles, influence grasping actions even when ignored. This study shows handle presence, not orientation, consistently reduced grip aperture during object manipulation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Affordances are object properties that suggest potential actions.
- Previous research indicated object features influence motor preparation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if object affordances, specifically cup handles, bias grasping movements.
- To determine if handle presence and orientation affect grip aperture during grasping, even when instructed to ignore the handle.
Main Methods:
- Twelve healthy participants grasped a cup under varying handle conditions (no handle, handle towards, handle away).
- Grip aperture was measured to quantify grasping movements.
- Distractor trials with small grip aperture tasks ensured implicit processing of affordances.
Main Results:
- Grip aperture was significantly smaller when a handle was present, regardless of its orientation.
- This effect persisted even when participants were instructed to grasp the cup's body and ignore the handle.
Conclusions:
- Object affordances, like handles, exert a sustained influence on motor execution.
- This finding extends previous research on affordances during motor preparation to movement execution.
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