Do we access object manipulability while we categorize? Evidence from reaction time studies

In two experiments we investigate whether different decision tasks were influenced by object manipulability. In Experiment 1, participants had to categorize objects (drawings or words) into artifacts or natural kinds. In Experiment 2, manipulability was made relevant to the task; participants were to decide whether or not objects could be picked up and put inside a backpack. Overall natural objects received faster responses than artifacts. In Experiment 2 an effect of manipulability was also found, but only with natural kinds, probably due to the fact that they convey information associated both with action ("how") and function ("what for"). The same pattern of results found with drawings and words suggests that words also activate motor information on how to grasp objects