Abstract
The study of motor-perceptual interactions is concerned with the general question of how motor-related processes can affect the formation of percepts. One line of research within this domain has sought to establish whether preparing a certain response can affect the perceptual processing of an imperative stimulus. For example, in demonstrating what they have termed the motor-visual attentional effect (MVAE), Craighero, Fadiga, Rizzolatti, and Umilta (1999) have reported that people are faster at initiating a prepared grasping response when the imperative stimulus shares attributes with the to-be-grasped object. They attributed this response-time (RT) effect to a motor-related enhancement of perceptual processing, because the effect was still present when people were suddenly required to make a response (e.g., a blink) that was different from the one that was originally prepared (i.e., a grasp). Although this latter finding adds credence to the idea that the locus of the MVAE is perceptual, an RT effect could also reflect the enhancement of other aspects of processing, such as response selection. In light of this limitation, the present study assessed whether the MVAE can be obtained under masked-accuracy conditions, which are generally assumed to be more sensitive to aspects of perceptual processing.
CraigheroL.FadigaL.RizzolattiG.UlmitaC.(1999). Action for perception: A motor-visual attentional effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 25, 1673–1692.