A Role for Control in an Action-Specific Effect on Perception

• Published in: Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance 2017-10, Vol.43 (10), p.1791-1804
• Main Author: Witt, Jessica K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action control; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Computer Simulation; Decision Making; Environment; Human; Humans; Integration; Logistic Models; Models, Psychological; Motion Perception; Perception; Physiology; Psychomotor Performance; Sensory perception; Space Perception; Spatial perception; Velocity; Visual Perception
• ISSN: 0096-1523; 1939-1277
• DOI: 10.1037/xhp0000447

According to the action-specific account of perception, people perceive the spatial layout of the environment in relation to their ability to act. Pioneering research by Bhalla and Proffitt (1999) demonstrated that hills were judged as steeper to perceivers with less physiological potential. Since this seminal work, much research has shown these action-specific effects generalize beyond hill slant perception and beyond physiological potential, but the underlying mechanisms are underspecified. The present experiments explore the potential mechanism that information about action is integrated with visual information about the target. According to an integration account, information from various sources are weighted, and the strength of these weights dictates the strength of that source of information on the resulting percept. One prediction is that it should be possible to vary the strength of the weights and thereby vary the size of a particular effect. To reduce the effect of action on perception, control over the action was taken away from participants. As predicted, losing control reduced the impact of action on spatial perception. This is the first reported instance of a partial action-specific effect, and is consistent with an integration-based mechanism. Public Significance Statement The research demonstrates that people see the spatial properties of the environment in relation to their ability to act. For example, when a ball is easier to catch, it appears slower than when it is more difficult to catch. Thus, spatial perception is not objective but rather is of the relationship between the environment and the person. The extent to which action affects perception depends on the extent to which a person can control the action. This implies that perception, and its susceptibility to influences by action, is likely to vary under a variety of situations such as when being a passenger in a car being driven by a teenager or in a self-driven car.