Adapting familiar object use to altered structure under different viewing conditions
Abstract
Using a modified familiar object requires learned actions to be reconciled with its current structure. We examined this problem using six everyday objects and altered counterparts designed to preserve recognisable identity and function while changing the relation between graspable and functional parts. Forty-six participants grasped and demonstrated object use in one of three conditions: continuous vision, immediate action after visual occlusion, or action after a 3-s delay without vision. Reach-to-grasp kinematics, manual spatial exploration and use errors provided complementary measures of performance; kinematic analyses included 45 participants and four object pairs. Errors occurred almost exclusively with unusual objects, which also elicited more exploration. No statistically significant object-type effect was detected in the measured kinematics. Reduced visual availability was associated with more exploration and lower peak transport velocity, whereas the condition effect on maximum grip aperture depended on the statistical model. Exploratory successive-condition contrasts identified changes in exploration and grip aperture after removal of online vision; evidence for an additional retention cost was inconclusive. No selective amplification of the unusual-object cost by viewing condition was detected. Together, the measures identify behavioural consequences of altered structure–function relations while leaving their effects on pre-contact movement uncertain. The findings identify difficulties in adapting familiar actions to altered objects and motivate assessing demonstrated use and exploration alongside grasping when investigating object usability.
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BibTeX
@misc{proietti2026adapting,
title = {{Adapting familiar object use to altered structure under different viewing conditions}},
author = {Riccardo Proietti and Irene Sciulli and Annalisa Bosco and Patrizia Fattori and Alessia Tessari},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/undaz_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/undaz_v1/},
note = {CC0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Adapting familiar object use to altered structure under different viewing conditions
AU - Riccardo Proietti
AU - Irene Sciulli
AU - Annalisa Bosco
AU - Patrizia Fattori
AU - Alessia Tessari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/undaz_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/undaz_v1/
AB - Using a modified familiar object requires learned actions to be reconciled with its current structure. We examined this problem using six everyday objects and altered counterparts designed to preserve recognisable identity and function while changing the relation between graspable and functional parts. Forty-six participants grasped and demonstrated object use in one of three conditions: continuous vision, immediate action after visual occlusion, or action after a 3-s delay without vision. Reach-to-grasp kinematics, manual spatial exploration and use errors provided complementary measures of performance; kinematic analyses included 45 participants and four object pairs. Errors occurred almost exclusively with unusual objects, which also elicited more exploration. No statistically significant object-type effect was detected in the measured kinematics. Reduced visual availability was associated with more exploration and lower peak transport velocity, whereas the condition effect on maximum grip aperture depended on the statistical model. Exploratory successive-condition contrasts identified changes in exploration and grip aperture after removal of online vision; evidence for an additional retention cost was inconclusive. No selective amplification of the unusual-object cost by viewing condition was detected. Together, the measures identify behavioural consequences of altered structure–function relations while leaving their effects on pre-contact movement uncertain. The findings identify difficulties in adapting familiar actions to altered objects and motivate assessing demonstrated use and exploration alongside grasping when investigating object usability.
ER -