Viewing photos and reading nouns of natural graspable objects similarly modulate motor responses

Abstract

It is well known that the observation of graspable objects recruits the same motor representations involved in their actual manipulation. Recent evidence suggests that the presentation of nouns referring to graspable objects may exert similar effects. So far, however, it is not clear to what extent the modulation of the motor system during object observation overlaps with that related to noun processing. To address this issue, 2 behavioral experiments were carried out using a go-no go paradigm. Healthy participants were presented with photos and nouns of graspable and non-graspable natural objects. Also scrambled images and pseudowords obtained from the original stimuli were used. At a go-signal onset (150 ms after stimulus presentation) participants had to press a key when the stimulus referred to a real object, using their right (Experiment 1) or left (Experiment 2) hand, and refrain from responding when a scrambled image or a pseudoword was presented. Slower responses were found for both photos and nouns of graspable objects as compared to non-graspable objects, independent of the responding hand. These findings suggest that processing seen graspable objects and written nouns referring to graspable objects similarly modulates the motor system.

Perceiving object affordances through visual and linguistic pathways: A comparative study

“…We assessed the compatibility effects for objects and words and found results consistent with previous findings in that both objects and words significantly modulated motor responses517. These results support the embodied cognition accounts which hold that access to motor codes is an integral part of object perception23.…”

Fluent Speakers of a Second Language Process Graspable Nouns Expressed in L2 Like in Their Native Language

“…Moreover, a specific modulation of hand motor responses has been shown during the processing of nouns referring to hand-related objects (Marino et al, 2013 ), as compared to foot-related objects. Two recent studies (Marino et al, 2014 ; Zhang et al, 2016 ) showed a similar modulation of the motor system during the processing of objects and nouns belonging to the same category. Additionally in an fMRI study (Desai et al, 2016 ), during reading nouns expressing graspable objects activations were found in areas also involved in action performance, thus supporting a grounded view of semantics.…”

Motivated Cognition: Effects of Reward, Emotion, and Other Motivational Factors Across a Variety of Cognitive Domains

“…For instance, in a simple task involving reaching for blocks and picking them up, grasping kinematics are influenced by text printed on the blocks, such as 'long' or 'short', as well as by words representing relative large or small objects (e.g., ' apple' or 'grape') (Gentilucci et al, 2000;Gentilucci & Gangitano, 1998;Glover et al, 2004). In the opposite direction, motor congruency of objects and pictures of objects, such as the side of a handle can influence response time and other measures in cognitive tasks (Brouillet et al, 2015;Buccino et al, 2009;Chum et al, 2007;Handy et al, 2003;Marino et al, 2014;Oakes & Onyper, 2017;Tucker & Ellis, 1998). Even more broadly, words and pictures representing objects varying in functionality can influence attention, semantic processing, and memory (Hauk et al, 2004;Madan et al, 2016;Madan & Singhal, 2012a;Montefinese et al, 2013;Pulvermüller, 2005;Shebani & Pulvermüller, 2013;Tousignant & Pexman, 2012;Witt et al, 2010).…”