Does the intention to communicate affect action kinematics?
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
Luisa Sartori1, Cristina Becchio, Bruno G Bara
1Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Italy.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of communicative intention on action. In Experiment 1 participants were requested to reach towards an object, grasp it, and either simply lift it (individual condition) or lift it with the intent to communicate a meaning to a partner (communicative condition). Movement kinematics were recorded using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The results indicate that kinematics was sensitive to communicative intention. Although the to-be-grasped object remained the same, movements performed for the 'communicative' condition were characterized by a kinematic pattern which differed from those obtained for the 'individual' condition. These findings were confirmed in a subsequent experiment in which the communicative condition was compared to a control condition, in which the communicative exchange was prevented. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive pragmatics and current knowledge on how social behavior shapes action kinematics.
More Related Videos
08:45Kinematic Analysis Using 3D Motion Capture of Drinking Task in People With and Without Upper-extremity Impairments
Published on: March 28, 2018
11:14A Novel Experimental and Analytical Approach to the Multimodal Neural Decoding of Intent During Social Interaction in Freely-behaving Human Infants
Published on: October 4, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Kinematic Equations - III
Using the kinematic equations,...
Kinematic Equations - I
Kinematic Equations: Problem Solving
Kinematic Equations - II
Suppose a car merges into freeway traffic on a 200 m long ramp. If its initial velocity is 10 m/s and it accelerates at 2 m/s2, then the...
Relative Motion Analysis - Velocity
When an external force is exerted, it sets the crank into a rotational movement. This, in turn, instigates the motion of the connecting rod, leading to what is referred to as a general plane motion. This process involves two key points - point A on the connecting rod...
Channels of Non-Verbal Communication