Interference from multiple affordances when selecting everyday graspable objects: Thematic relations solve it.

Abstract

Object perception and action are closely interrelated: Various grasping components are evoked when perceiving visual objects ("object affordances"). Yet little is known about the impact of the evocation of multiobject affordances on object perceptual processing. This study aimed to determine whether object processing may be affected by the similarity of affordances evoked by multiple objects and whether semantic relations between objects modulate this effect. Adult students were presented with three-dimensional scenes involving pairs of graspable objects. Each object evoked grasp size affordances (precision or power grasps). Affordances of the two objects could be similar or dissimilar and objects could be thematically related (spatula-pan) or unrelated (spatula-snow globe). Participants had to judge the color of a target object by performing power and precision grasps compatible or incompatible with the target evoked grasp. Results showed slower responses on compatible targets when unrelated distractors evoked similar compared to dissimilar affordances. This cost of similar affordances disappeared when objects were thematically related. Findings corroborate predictions of recent models hypothesizing automatic inhibition of distractor affordances when selecting one object among others. We further provide novel evidence for a role of thematic relations between objects in the perception of multiple affordances. Findings have implications for object processing in naturalistic scenes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).