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Grasping numbers

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Abstract

Both theoretical and empirical studies suggest that numerical processing is intimately linked to representations of goal-directed hand actions. Further evidence for this possibility is provided here by the results of two experiments, both of which revealed a powerful influence of numerical magnitude on the selection of hand grasping movements. Human participants performed either power or precision grip responses based on the semantic properties (e.g., parity) of visual Arabic numerals, in Experiment 1, or depending on their surface characteristics (e.g., colour), in Experiment 2. In both the experiments, it was found that small numerical values facilitated precision grip (commonly used to grasp small objects), while large numerical value potentiated power grip (commonly used to grasp large objects). These findings reveal that perceiving numbers can automatically prime grasping gestures, in a similar manner to viewing physical objects. This result is coherent with the view that processing of symbolic (numerical) and physical quantitative information converges onto a shared magnitude system representing the coordinates of action.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a PRIN grant (nr. 2005111741) from MIUR to G. di Pellegrino. We thank Elisabetta Làdavas and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript.

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  1. Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Giovanna Moretto & Giuseppe di Pellegrino

  2. Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Cesena, Italy

    Giovanna Moretto & Giuseppe di Pellegrino

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  1. Giovanna Moretto
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Correspondence to Giuseppe di Pellegrino.

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Moretto, G., di Pellegrino, G. Grasping numbers. Exp Brain Res 188, 505–515 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1386-9

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