Abstract
Previous research investigating handle-response compatibility effects with graspable objects used different categories of objects as stimuli, regardless of their specific, intrinsic characteristics. The current study explores whether different types of objects’ characteristics may elicit different types of spatial compatibility, that is, handle-response and response-effect compatibility as well as their potential interaction. In Experiment 1, objects having a graspable handle opposite to either a visible functional component (i.e., handle-function objects: a teapot) or a latent functional component (handle-only objects: a pitcher lacking the spout) were presented separately in different blocks. Both the handle and the goal-directed functional components of these objects were located on the horizontal axis. In Experiment 2, handle-only objects had a handle located on the horizontal axis and a latent functional component located on the vertical axis (e.g., a cup). In both experiments, participants were required to judge the material (plastic and metal) the object was made of. Results showed that the handle-response compatibility effect was sensitive to whether the actions consequences of object manipulation took place on the horizontal rather than on the vertical axis.
Highlights
The aim of the present study is to explore their concurrent effects in order to shed light on their potential interactions when participants process pictures of graspable objects
We presented participants with objects having either a visible goal-directed functional component located on the horizontal axis or a latent goal-directed functional component located on the horizontal (Experiment 1) or the vertical axis (Experiment 2)
Handle-only objects with action effects occurring on the vertical axis led to a H-R compatibility effect in Experiment 2
Summary
The handle-response (H-R) compatibility effect (Iani et al, 2018; Pellicano et al, 2020), known as handle-alignment (Bub et al, 2018) and object-based correspondence effect (Lien et al, 2013), refers to the finding of faster and more accurate responses when the position of an object’s graspable component (i.e., the handle) and the stimulus’ required response lay on the same side compared to when they lay on opposite sides.Evidence in favor of the H-R compatibility effect was initially provided by Tucker and Ellis (1998) who showed that judging the upright or inverted position of depicted graspable objects was influenced by the orientation of the object’s handle. That is, perceiving action-relevant visual features of objects such as a cup’s handle might trigger the affordance for grasping it with the left or right hand, which in turn generates a left or right code consisting of the activation of limb-specific motor patterns This assumption, known as the action-potentiation or affordance hypothesis, has, been challenged by research showing null (Symes et al, 2005; Tipper et al, 2006; Loach et al, 2008; Bub and Masson, 2010; Kostov and Janyan, 2012; Cho and Proctor, 2013; Song et al, 2014; Yu et al, 2014; Saccone et al, 2016; Pellicano et al, 2020) and/or reversed (Pellicano et al, 2010, 2020; Cho and Proctor, 2011, 2013; Yu et al, 2014; Kostov and Janyan, 2015; Proctor et al, 2017) H-R compatibility effects.
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