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

Muscles of the Eye

Muscles of the Eye

The muscles of the eye are sophisticated structures that control eye movement and focus, allowing for the precise and rapid adjustments necessary for vision. The human eye is controlled by ten muscles — six extraocular muscles, three intraocular muscles, and one primary eyelid retractor muscle.
Extraocular Muscles
The six extraocular muscles surround the eyeball and control its movements. They are responsible for a wide range of eye motions, including looking up, down, left, right, and rotating...

Accessory Structures of the Eye

Accessory Structures of the Eye

Optical perception, or vision, is an extraordinary sense dependent on converting light signals received via the ocular organs. These organs, known as eyes, are securely positioned within the bony cavities of the skull, called orbits. The orbits serve a dual purpose: a protective shield for the ocular globes and a stable attachment point for the soft ocular tissues. The eye's external protective mechanisms include the eyelids, which are edged with lashes that act as a barrier against foreign...

Observational Learning

Observational Learning

Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning because...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Classifying footballers with a visual impairment: The relationship between visual function and technical performance.

Journal of science and medicine in sport·2026

Same author

Cortical activity and functional organisation during ocular pursuit is affected by concurrent upper limb movement.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

The influence of low and high spatial frequency visual information on the anticipation of soccer penalty kicks.

Psychology of sport and exercise·2026

Same author

Investigating the impairment-performance relationship during competition in elite blind and partially sighted football.

Frontiers in sports and active living·2025

Same author

Improving on-field decision making using video-based training - A pilot study with young volleyball players.

PloS one·2025

Same author

The Quiet Eye Period and its Relationship With Task Complexity: Is the Ceiling Effect an Indicator of Expertise?

Perceptual and motor skills·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Published on: June 2, 2018

Eye movements are not a prerequisite for learning movement sequence timing through observation.

Spencer J Hayes¹, Matthew A Timmis, Simon J Bennett

¹Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK. s.hayes@ljmu.ac.uk

Acta Psychologica

|June 9, 2009

Summary

Observational learning of movement sequences is possible even without eye movements. This study found that observing a movement, with or without eye movements, improved motor control and timing accuracy.

More Related Videos

Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children

Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children

Published on: September 1, 2018

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Ocular Kinematics Measured by In Vitro Stimulation of the Cranial Nerves in the Turtle

Published on: June 2, 2018

Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children

Classical Short-Delay Eyeblink Conditioning in One-Year-Old Children

Published on: September 1, 2018

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice

Published on: March 30, 2016

Area of Science:

Motor Learning
Cognitive Neuroscience
Human Movement Science

Background:

Observational learning is a key mechanism for acquiring new motor skills.
The role of eye movements during observational learning is debated, with some theories suggesting they are crucial for encoding movement information.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if eye movements are a prerequisite for learning a three-segment movement sequence through observation.
To compare learning outcomes between physical practice, observational practice with eye movements, and observational practice with fixation.

Main Methods:

A yoked-participant design was employed with physical practice, observation with eye movements, and observation with fixation groups.
Participants practiced moving a mouse cursor through a three-segment sequence to meet specific movement time goals.
Kinematic data, timing accuracy, and variability were analyzed pre- and post-practice.

Main Results:

All practice groups (physical, observational with eye movements, observational with fixation) showed significant improvements in timing accuracy, variability, and movement kinematics.
The control group showed no significant changes.
Learning occurred with or without eye movements during observation, though physical practice yielded slightly better results in the final movement segment.

Conclusions:

Observational learning of movement sequences can occur without the explicit contribution of eye movements.
Information typically afforded by eye movements during observation, such as efference copy, is not essential for learning movement sequences.
Motor control and timing aspects of movement sequences can be acquired through visual observation alone.