Object Manipulation and Motion Perception: Evidence of an Influence of Action Planning on Visual Processing

• Published in: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 1062 - 1071
• Main Authors: Lindemann, Oliver, Bekkering, Harold
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01.08.2009
• Subjects: Factor Analysis; Humans; Intention; Motion; Motion Perception; Multivariate Analysis; Object Manipulation; Perceptual Motor Coordination; Priming; Psychomotor Performance; Rotation; Signal Detection, Psychological; Visual Perception
• DOI: 10.1037/a0015023
• ISSN: 0096-1523

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated the bidirectional coupling of perception and action in the context of object manipulations and motion perception. Participants prepared to grasp an X-shaped object along one of its 2 diagonals and to rotate it in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction. Action execution had to be delayed until the appearance of a visual go signal, which induced an apparent rotational motion in either a clockwise- or a counterclockwise direction. Stimulus detection was faster when the direction of the induced apparent motion was consistent with the direction of the concurrently intended manual object rotation. Responses to action-consistent motions were also faster when the participants prepared the manipulation actions but signaled their stimulus detections with another motor effector (i.e., with a foot response). Taken together, the present study demonstrates a motor-visual priming effect of prepared object manipulations on visual motion perception, indicating a bidirectional functional link between action and perception beyond object-related visuomotor associations. (Contains 2 footnotes, 2 tables and 5 figures.)