Space and function in action comprehension

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Perceived object-directed actions can only be fully understood by considering both the goal-directed movements and the functions of the objects involved. Our research explored how these two aspects are processed during action comprehension. Participants observed object-directed actions and judged their appropriateness based on static frames depicting a hand using an instrument and a target object. The elements could either match or mismatch spatially or functionally. A spatial mismatch occurred when the orientations of the objects were inappropriate for the intended action, while a functional mismatch arose when the object combination did not yield an expected action effect. Results from nine experiments revealed that (1) functional information and goal-directed movement information are initially processed separately but later integrated into a coherent representation; (2) these processes occur in parallel during action perception; and (3) they interact to some degree. Notably, understanding the function of objects—what goal can be achieved with their combination—provides context for interpreting the corresponding goal-directed movements. These findings apply across three action domains: grasping, inserting, and tool use.