Visuo-motor integration is a cognitive process essential for executing smooth actions based on visual information. While previous affordance studies suggest that object perception automatically activates motor representations, the temporal dynamics distinguishing “pattern identification” from “motor judgment” remain unclear. Furthermore, conventional experiments using 2D monitors lack the depth cues necessary for realistic grasping tasks. To address these issues, this study developed a custom-built aerial display using polarizing plates to present floating visual stimuli, enabling participants to perform natural grasping motions without physical contact. We designed a novel dual-priming paradigm that independently manipulates the congruency of visual patterns (identification) and handle orientations (motor affordance). High-density EEG (64 channels) and behavioral response times were recorded, and data were analyzed for the right frontal (F4), midline (Fz, Pz), and sensorimotor (C3, C4) areas. Although behavioral analysis showed no statistical difference between conditions, EEG analysis (N=7) using Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed not significant but moderate interaction effects of condition on the N2b component in frontal and sensorimotor areas. These results suggest that the congruency checking process is more sensitively reflected in neural activity during motor preparation for priming tasks.
UEDA et al. (Thu,) studied this question.