Two distinct neural pathways for mechanical versus digital technology
Giovanni Federico,
Mathieu Lesourd,
Arnaud Fournel,
Alexandre Bluet,
Chloé Bryche,
Maximilien Metaireau,
Dario Baldi,
Maria Antonella Brandimonte,
Andrea Soricelli,
Yves Rossetti,
François Osiurak
Affiliations
Giovanni Federico
Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, Naples, Italy; Corresponding author.
Mathieu Lesourd
Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive (UMR INSERM 1322), Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France; MSHE Ledoux, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Arnaud Fournel
Laboratoire d’Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France
Alexandre Bluet
Laboratoire d’Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France; Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Chloé Bryche
Laboratoire d’Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France
Maximilien Metaireau
Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive (UMR INSERM 1322), Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France; Laboratoire d’Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France
Dario Baldi
IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, Naples, Italy
Maria Antonella Brandimonte
Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, Naples, Italy
Andrea Soricelli
IRCCS SYNLAB SDN, Naples, Italy
Yves Rossetti
Mouvement, Handicap, et Neuro-Immersion, Hospices Civils de Lyon et Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Hôpital Henry Gabrielle, St Genis Laval, France; Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Trajectoires Team, CNRS U5292, Inserm U1028, Université de Lyon, France
François Osiurak
Laboratoire d’Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
Technology pervades every aspect of our lives, making it crucial to investigate how the human mind deals with it. Here we examine the cognitive and neural foundations of technological cognition. In the first fMRI experiment, participants viewed videos depicting the use of mechanical tools (e.g., a screwdriver) and digital tools (e.g., a smartphone) compared to simple object movements. Results revealed a key dissociation: mechanical tools extensively activated the dorsal and ventro-dorsal visual streams, which are motor- and action-oriented brain systems. Conversely, digital tools largely engaged the ventral visual stream, associated with conceptual and social cognition. A second behavioral experiment showed a pronounced tendency to anthropomorphize digital tools. A third experiment involving a priming task confirmed that digital tools activate the social brain. The discovery of two different neurocognitive systems for mechanical versus digital technology offers new insights into human-technology interaction and its implications for the evolution of the human mind.
