Abstract
Recent evidence shows that activation of motor information can favor identification of related tools, thus suggesting a strict link between motor and conceptual knowledge in cognitive representation of tools. However, the involvement of motor information in further semantic processing has not been elucidated. In three experiments, we aimed to ascertain whether motor information provided by observation of actions could affect processing of conceptual knowledge about tools. In Experiment 1, healthy participants judged whether pairs of tools evoking different functional handgrips had the same function. In Experiment 2 participants judged whether tools were paired with appropriate recipients. Finally, in Experiment 3 we again required functional judgments as in Experiment 1, but also included in the set of stimuli pairs of objects having different function and similar functional handgrips. In all experiments, pictures displaying either functional grasping (aimed to use tools) or structural grasping (just aimed to move tools independently from their use) were presented before each stimulus pair. The results demonstrated that, in comparison with structural grasping, observing functional grasping facilitates judgments about tools’ function when objects did not imply the same functional manipulation (Experiment 1), whereas worsened such judgments when objects shared functional grasp (Experiment 3). Instead, action observation did not affect judgments concerning tool–recipient associations (Experiment 2). Our findings support a task-dependent influence of motor information on high-order conceptual tasks and provide further insights into how motor and conceptual processing about tools can interact.
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Appendix
Appendix
Lists of objects included in experimental stimuli
Target objects—all experiments | Function judgment—Experiment 1 | Recipient judgment—Experiment 2 | Function judgment—Experiment 3 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matched objects | Unmatched objects | Matched items | Unmatched items | Unmatched objects | |
Gas lighter | Lighter | Screwdriver | Gas cooker | Faucet | Hunting rifle |
Coffee pot | Coffee maker | Hairbrush | Coffee cup | Piece of cake | Watering can |
Basic corkscrew | Wing corkscrew | Pincers | Cork | Nail | T spanner |
White out | Shake ‘n squeeze | Spray | Copybook | Blackboard | Soap bubble maker |
Paper scissors | Cutter | Bottle opener | Poster boards | Marble sheets | Serving scissor tongs |
Hand electric mixer | Stand electric mixer | Vacuum cleaner | Cream casserole dish | Spaghetti dish | Electric iron |
Pincer tea infuser | Tea bag | Pipe | Tea cup | Straw bale | Reverse tongs |
Squeegee | Glass cleaning cloth | Shaving brush | Glass window | Wardrobe | Paint roller |
Hand lens | Field glasses | Stapler | Written sheet | Traffic sign | Hairbrush |
Hair butterfly clamp | Hair clip | Fork | Long-haired woman’s head | Fingers | Clothes pin |
Electric razor | Straight razor | PC mouse | Bearded chin | Feet | Torch |
Liquid soap dispenser | Bar soap | Electric iron | Hands | Tongue | Perfume spray |
Junior hacksaw | Toolbox saw | Ladle | Pieces of wood | Piece of bread | Slicer knife |
Hairbrush | Comb | Ballpoint pen | Woman’s hair | Woman’s eye | Wall paintbrush |
Spray bottle | Toilet cleaner bottle | Hammer | Bathroom sink | Bed | Soldering gun |
Nail clipping | Nail scissors | Key house | Finger nails | Long-haired woman’s head | Junior stapler |
Coffee cup | Small glass | Cake spatula | Lips | Ear | Funnel |
Hand stamp | Rubber stamp | Syringe | Ink pad | Ointment tube | Meat pounder |
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De Bellis, F., Ferrara, A., Errico, D. et al. Observing functional actions affects semantic processing of tools: evidence of a motor-to-semantic priming. Exp Brain Res 234, 1–11 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-015-4432-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-015-4432-4