Intersubjective action-effect binding: Eye contact modulates acquisition of bidirectional association between our and others’ actions

• Published in: Cognition Vol. 127; no. 3; pp. 383 - 390
• Main Authors: Sato, Atsushi, Itakura, Shoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.06.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Action control; Activity levels. Psychomotricity; Adolescent; Association (Psychology); Biological and medical sciences; Counter-mirror activation; Eye contact; Eye Movements; Female; Females; Fixation, Ocular; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intersubjective action-effect binding; Joint action; Male; Nonverbal Communication; Photic Stimulation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychomotor activities; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Sensorimotor learning; Social Behavior; Young Adult; Sensorimotor learning; Counter-mirror activation; Intersubjective action-effect binding; Joint action; Eye contact; Action control; Human; Visual contact; Gaze; Cognition; Activation; Intersubjectivity; Motor control; Learning; Acquisition process; Motricity
• ISSN: 0010-0277; 1873-7838
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2013.02.010

► Humans can acquire bidirectional association between our and others’ actions. ► The evidence of intersubjective action-effect binding was obtained when there was eye contact. ► The evidence of intersubjective action-effect binding was not obtained when there was no eye contact. In everyday social life, we predict others’ actions in response to our own actions. Subsequently, on the basis of these predictions, we control our actions to attain desired social outcomes and/or adjust our actions to accommodate the anticipated actions of the others. Representation of the bidirectional association between our and others’ actions, that is, intersubjective action-effect binding, could make such intersubjective action control easier and smoother. The present study investigated not only whether or not intersubjective action-effect binding was acquired but also whether or not eye contact modulated it. Experiment 1 showed that after a repeated experience during which participants’ finger movements triggered a target female individual’s mouth gesture, observing the target’s mouth gestures came to automatically trigger the participants’ finger movements. Experiments 2 and 3 revealed that this effect was not observed when the target’s gaze direction was averted (Experiment 2) or when the target’s eyes were closed (Experiment 3) throughout the acquisition phase. These results indicate that intersubjective action-effect binding occurs and that an ostensive signal, that is, eye contact modulates it.