Abstract

We investigated whether perceptual learning via dynamic touch can facilitate the discovery of tooling affordances. Twelve blindfolded participants manipulated two structurally identical aluminum objects consisting of a blade and a shaft; one object was seven and a half times heavier than and twice as large as the other object. Flexions/extensions at two joints in the shaft changed the configuration and functionality of each object. A rigid shaft (one of four possible configurations) rendered each object a functional hoe. The number of changes in the configuration produced prior to determining that the grasped object had been rendered a functional hoe greatly exceeded the number of possible configurations and declined with experience, whereas the rate of change in configuration increased with experience. Inertial properties specifically support perception via dynamic touch and explained the observed differences in actions with the two objects. These findings demonstrate that perceptual learning via dynamic touch can facilitate the discovery of tooling affordances.

摘要

我们调查了通过动态接触进行的知觉学习是否可以促进工具能力的发现。十二名蒙着眼睛的参与者操纵了两个结构相同的铝制物体，包括一个刀片和一个杆身；一个物体比另一个物体重七倍半大。轴中两个关节的弯曲/伸展改变了每个对象的配置和功能。坚固的杆身（四种可能的配置之一）使每个物体都变成了功能。在确定抓握的物体已经变成功能之前，所产生的配置变化次数大大超过了可能的配置数量，并且随着经验的增加而下降，而配置变化的速度则随着经验的增加而增加。惯性特性特别支持通过动态触摸的感知，并解释了观察到的两个对象在动作上的差异。这些发现表明，通过动态接触进行的知觉学习可以促进工具能力的发现。