Is there a lower visual field advantage for object affordances? A registered report

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Visual Perception
• Action Neuroscience

Background:

• Graspable objects facilitate visual processing via affordances.
• The handle compatibility effect demonstrates faster responses to graspable objects when handle orientation matches the responding hand.
• Debate exists whether this effect stems from affordances or spatial compatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the handle compatibility effect while controlling for spatial compatibility.
• To examine a potential lower visual field (VF) advantage for the handle compatibility effect.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: 68 participants responded to object orientation or color with left/right-handed keypresses, controlling for spatial compatibility.
• Experiment 2: 68 participants responded to object orientation presented in the upper or lower visual field.

Main Results:

• The handle compatibility effect was not replicated when spatial compatibility was controlled.
• A significant handle compatibility effect was found in the lower VF, but not the upper VF.

Conclusions:

• The handle compatibility effect may not be solely driven by affordances or spatial compatibility.
• A lower VF advantage for affordances suggests this region is crucial for action planning.
• Future research should consider eye movements and tool affordances.