Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

Implicit Personality Theories

Implicit Personality Theories

Implicit personality theory explains how individuals make assumptions about the relationships between personality traits, behaviors, and character types. When people learn that someone possesses a particular trait, they tend to infer the presence of other related characteristics, forming a cohesive impression. This cognitive shortcut plays a crucial role in social interactions and interpersonal judgments.Central Traits and Their InfluenceSolomon Asch's seminal 1946 study highlighted the power...

Induction

Induction

An emf is induced when the magnetic field in a coil is changed by pushing a bar magnet into or out of the coil. emfs of opposite signs are produced by motion in opposite directions, and the directions of emfs are also reversed by reversing poles. The same results are produced if the coil is moved rather than the magnet—it is the relative motion that is important. The faster the motion, the greater the emf. Additionally, there is no emf when the magnet is stationary relative to the coil.
A...

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is a form of logical thinking that uses related observations to arrive at a general conclusion. It is uncertain and operates in degrees to which the conclusions are credible. As such, inductive arguments can be weak or strong, rather than valid or invalid, and conclusions can be used to formulate testable, falsifiable hypotheses.Inductive reasoning is common in descriptive science. A life scientist makes observations and records them. This data can be qualitative or...

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...

Self-Awareness and Its Effects

Self-Awareness and Its Effects

Self-awareness is a psychological state in which the individual becomes the focal point of their attention. This inward focus transforms the self into an object of contemplation and assessment, influencing how individuals perceive their actions and their alignment with personal and societal standards.Triggers and Contexts for Self-AwarenessSelf-awareness can be activated by external stimuli that make individuals visually or audibly aware of themselves, such as mirrors, cameras, or recordings.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Cognitive effects of STN-DBS on mental rotation performance in Parkinson's disease.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Consistently longer silent gaps in autistic speaker pairs across three conversational contexts.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Examining speakers' subjective and bio-behavioral responses to audience-induced social-evaluative threat via immersive VR.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Anticipation and prevention of real risks of virtual environments in psychiatry.

NPJ digital medicine·2026

Same author

Observer-Independent Assessment of Content Overlap in Mental Health Questionnaires: Large Language Model-Based Study.

JMIR AI·2025

Same author

Reading the Social Clock: Analyzing Nonverbal Coordination Dynamics in Casual Chat and Conflict.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

Parametric induction of animacy experience.

Natacha S Santos¹, Nicole David, Gary Bente

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of Cologne, Kerpenerstr. 62, 50924 Cologne, Germany. natacha.santos@uk-koeln.de

Consciousness and Cognition

|April 29, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human perception of object animacy is influenced by motion. This study found that pauses and complex interactions, like approach and responsiveness, significantly increase the experience of animacy in moving geometrical figures.

More Related Videos

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses

Published on: January 7, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation

Published on: March 1, 2017

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses

Characterization of the Sense of Agency over the Actions of Neural-machine Interface-operated Prostheses

Published on: January 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Cognitive psychology
Computer vision
Human-computer interaction

Background:

The attribution of animacy to simple moving geometrical figures is a well-established phenomenon in human perception.
However, the specific movement characteristics that elicit this perception remain largely unexplored.
Existing research often lacks precise control over motion parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel parametric research paradigm for experimentally controlling motion parameters.
To investigate how specific movement characteristics influence the attribution of animacy.
To understand the relationship between motion, interaction, and perceived animacy.

Main Methods:

Two experiments utilized 3D computer animations of one or two objects.
Systematic variations were introduced in motion parameters: directionality, discontinuity, and responsiveness.
Temporal kinematics were also manipulated to assess their effect on animacy attribution.

Main Results:

Animacy experience increased with the duration an object paused near another object.
Increased complexity of interaction, including approach and responsiveness, enhanced the perception of animacy.
The study successfully modulated animacy experience parametrically through simple differential movement variations.

Conclusions:

Simple, differential movement characteristics are sufficient to parametrically modulate the experience of animacy.
Object pauses and interactive behaviors (approach, responsiveness) are key factors in perceived animacy.
The developed paradigm offers precise experimental control for future animacy research.