A kinematic approach to the conceptual representations of this and that

Cognition. 2009 May;111(2):270-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2009.01.006. Epub 2009 Mar 13.

Abstract

The Italian demonstrative pronouns questo/a ('this([mas/fem])') and quello/a ('that([mas/fem])') implicitly convey information about objects' distance with respect to the speaker. Our study investigated the referents of questo/a ('this([mas/fem])') and quello/a ('that([mas/fem])') by analysing their influence on reach-to-grasp actions towards objects located near to (12cm) or far from (30cm) the participant. Upon acoustic instruction containing one or the other pronoun, participants had to reach for and grasp a target object. Results showed an effect of pronoun on movement planning. When the object was in the far position, reaction times were faster for the congruent pronoun quello/a, whereas when it was in the near position they were faster for the congruent pronoun questo/a. Interactions between implied and real target distance suggest that the conceptual spaces of questo/a and quello/a do not map onto a strict distinction between peripersonal and extrapersonal space.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Adult
  • Biomechanical Phenomena*
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Female
  • Hand Strength
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psycholinguistics*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Space Perception / physiology
  • Young Adult