Stable and variable affordances in object processing: Insights from a mouse-tracking study

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Object processing relies on integrating sensory information with existing knowledge.
• The interplay between conceptual knowledge and motor control in object recognition is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of sensorimotor and semantic systems on object processing.
• To examine how different grip types (power vs. precision) affect object affordance perception.
• To differentiate the roles of stable versus variable affordances in object recognition.

Main Methods:

• Participants selected tool and nontool images using large (power grip) or small (precision grip) mice.
• Objects were presented upright (stable affordances) or rotated (variable affordances).
• Response times and mouse movement trajectories (temporal and spatial) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A compatibility effect was observed when object motion representation matched the mouse response.
• Nontools with tool-like properties activated affordances.
• Stable affordances were linked to long-term memory, while variable affordances depended on online sensory cues.

Conclusions:

• Object processing integrates conceptual and motor systems.
• Stable affordances are based on established object knowledge, whereas variable affordances are dynamically updated.
• Understanding affordances requires considering both semantic knowledge and sensorimotor feedback.