Action observation can prime visual object recognition

Abstract

Observing an action activates action representations in the motor system. Moreover, the representations of manipulable objects are closely linked to the motor systems at a functional and neuroanatomical level. Here, we investigated whether action observation can facilitate object recognition using an action priming paradigm. As prime stimuli we presented short video movies showing hands performing an action in interaction with an object (where the object itself was always removed from the video). The prime movie was followed by a (briefly presented) target object affording motor interactions that are either similar (congruent condition) or dissimilar (incongruent condition) to the prime action. Participants had to decide whether an object name shown after the target picture corresponds with the picture or not (picture-word matching task). We found superior accuracy for prime-target pairs with congruent as compared to incongruent actions across two experiments. Thus, action observation can facilitate recognition of a manipulable object typically involving a similar action. This action priming effect supports the notion that action representations play a functional role in object recognition.

Fig. 1

Examples for prime–target pairs associated with congruent and incongruent typical actions. Stimuli are organized into action groups. Each group consists of a prime stimulus (short video clip showing hands performing an action) paired with several target objects that involve an action similar to the one displayed in the prime video clip (congruent action) and an identical number of objects that involve dissimilar actions (incongruent action). For example, the action displayed in the prime movie of action group 1, “rolling out with a rolling pin”, involves similar movements as the typical actions associated with the target objects of the congruent condition which is pushing a lawn mower, a wheelbarrow or a walker

Fig. 2

Results of the norming studies. Left panel action similarity rating on a scale from 1 to 7 were 1 indicates low and 7 high similarity. Right panel rating of the semantic similarity between the object used to record the prime movie and the target object (on a scale from 1 to 7). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean across observers

Fig. 3

Performance in the picture-word matching task for prime–target pairs with congruent and incongruent actions. Left panels accuracy in percent correct responses. Right panels reaction times. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean across observers. Experiment 1 without masking of the target object. Experiment 2 with backward masking of the target object