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A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools. / Witt, Jessica K.; Kemmerer, David; Linkenauger, Sally A. et al.
In: Psychological Science, Vol. 21, No. 9, 09.2010, p. 1215-1219.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Witt, JK, Kemmerer, D, Linkenauger, SA & Culham, J 2010, 'A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools', Psychological Science, vol. 21, no. 9, pp. 1215-1219. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610378307

APA

Witt, J. K., Kemmerer, D., Linkenauger, S. A., & Culham, J. (2010). A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools. Psychological Science, 21(9), 1215-1219. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610378307

Vancouver

Witt JK, Kemmerer D, Linkenauger SA, Culham J. A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools. Psychological Science. 2010 Sept;21(9):1215-1219. doi: 10.1177/0956797610378307

Author

Witt, Jessica K. ; Kemmerer, David ; Linkenauger, Sally A. et al. / A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools. In: Psychological Science. 2010 ; Vol. 21, No. 9. pp. 1215-1219.

Bibtex

@article{fce7e3ab6fe441968cc94a726d0a16f3,
title = "A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools",
abstract = "Embodied cognition promotes the involvement of the motor system in cognitive processing, such as tool identification. Although neuropsychological studies suggest that the motor system is not necessary for identifying tools, it may still have a functional role in tool recognition. To test this possibility, we used a motor interference task: Participants squeezed a rubber ball in one hand while naming pictures of tools and animals. Participants were faster and more accurate in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing away from the squeezing hand than in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing toward the squeezing hand. There was no effect of orientation for animals. Given that participants simulate grasping a tool with the hand closest to the handle, this result demonstrates that interfering with the ability to simulate grasping impairs tool naming and suggests that motor simulation has a functional role in tool identification.",
keywords = "LANGUAGE, embodied cognition, motor interference, SYSTEM, tool use, PERCEPTION, object identification, APRAXIA, motor simulation",
author = "Witt, {Jessica K.} and David Kemmerer and Linkenauger, {Sally A.} and Jody Culham",
year = "2010",
month = sep,
doi = "10.1177/0956797610378307",
language = "English",
volume = "21",
pages = "1215--1219",
journal = "Psychological Science",
issn = "0956-7976",
publisher = "SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC",
number = "9",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Functional Role for Motor Simulation in Identifying Tools

AU - Witt, Jessica K.

AU - Kemmerer, David

AU - Linkenauger, Sally A.

AU - Culham, Jody

PY - 2010/9

Y1 - 2010/9

N2 - Embodied cognition promotes the involvement of the motor system in cognitive processing, such as tool identification. Although neuropsychological studies suggest that the motor system is not necessary for identifying tools, it may still have a functional role in tool recognition. To test this possibility, we used a motor interference task: Participants squeezed a rubber ball in one hand while naming pictures of tools and animals. Participants were faster and more accurate in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing away from the squeezing hand than in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing toward the squeezing hand. There was no effect of orientation for animals. Given that participants simulate grasping a tool with the hand closest to the handle, this result demonstrates that interfering with the ability to simulate grasping impairs tool naming and suggests that motor simulation has a functional role in tool identification.

AB - Embodied cognition promotes the involvement of the motor system in cognitive processing, such as tool identification. Although neuropsychological studies suggest that the motor system is not necessary for identifying tools, it may still have a functional role in tool recognition. To test this possibility, we used a motor interference task: Participants squeezed a rubber ball in one hand while naming pictures of tools and animals. Participants were faster and more accurate in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing away from the squeezing hand than in naming the tools that were oriented with the handle facing toward the squeezing hand. There was no effect of orientation for animals. Given that participants simulate grasping a tool with the hand closest to the handle, this result demonstrates that interfering with the ability to simulate grasping impairs tool naming and suggests that motor simulation has a functional role in tool identification.

KW - LANGUAGE

KW - embodied cognition

KW - motor interference

KW - SYSTEM

KW - tool use

KW - PERCEPTION

KW - object identification

KW - APRAXIA

KW - motor simulation

U2 - 10.1177/0956797610378307

DO - 10.1177/0956797610378307

M3 - Journal article

VL - 21

SP - 1215

EP - 1219

JO - Psychological Science

JF - Psychological Science

SN - 0956-7976

IS - 9

ER -