ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1732-6485
Date of Award
Winter 12-21-2023
Additional Affiliations
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Degree Name
Master of Arts (AM/MA)
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
Previous research has shown that different grasping actions selectively influence the processing of simple visual features based on their relevance to the specific action. However, it remains uncertain if this interaction extends to abstract and higher-order information, such as global configuration extracted from an array of visual objects. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of different grasping types on the processing of configural shape information in visual working memory (VWM). In Experiment 1, participants engaged in a VWM change detection task while adopting either power- or precision-grasping postures. The availability of configural shape information was manipulated through the presence or absence of surrounding circles around oriented bars. The results showed that configural shape information in the memory array overall benefited participants’ change detection performance. Importantly, the effect of configural shape on memory performance was modulated by grasping type, specifically, showing a greater configural benefit under precision-grasping compared to power-grasping. Experiment 2 replicated these findings while controlling for differences in the physical appearance of stimuli across conditions. Together, the findings highlight the role of grasping type in modulating the processing of configural shape information. This modulation could potentially be mediated by the distinct visual pathways associated with the specific content of configural shape information and with different types of hand grasping.
Language
English (en)
Chair and Committee
Dr. Richard A. Abrams
Committee Members
Dr. Ian Dobbins Dr. Julie Bugg
Recommended Citation
Ahn, Shinhae, "Grasping Type Affects Configural Encoding in Visual Working Memory" (2023). Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2977.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/2977