LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ACTION AND OBJECT PERCEPTION: THE ROLE OF ACTION READINESS

Abstract

Abstract Research assessing the relationship between action and object perception is far-reaching. However, most of this research uses tangible objects or photos of objects. Less research has focused on the abstract ways in which we interact with objects, namely linguistically. This experiment focuses on how linguistic descriptions of action can influence object perception. Participants were tasked with listening to a game show scenario that had them toss water balloons into buckets using two different grasp types: precision grip (pinch) or power grasp (whole-hand). Participants then identified an ambiguous object, which could be interpreted as a cherry or apple. We also manipulated action readiness by describing participants as either about to pick up the water balloon (hand available) or having already picked up the water balloon (hand unavailable) at the end of the story. This was done because research suggests that if the hand is unavailable for action, the effect goes away. Results for this experiment revealed a congruency effect, which means that the grasp type described determined the interpretation of the ambiguous object, but only when the hand was available to perform action.