Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
Causes of Social Behavior I: Actions and Characteristics of Individuals01:30

Causes of Social Behavior I: Actions and Characteristics of Individuals

The actions and characteristics of others heavily influence the causes of social behaviors. Emotional expressions serve as powerful social signals, shaping behaviors and interactions in significant ways. Whether through direct observation or subconscious processing, individuals constantly adjust their responses based on the emotions and attributes of those around them.Emotional Cues and Social ResponsesFacial expressions, tone of voice, and body language provide crucial emotional cues that...
Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning01:19

Role of Shaping in Operant Conditioning

Shaping is a technique used in operant conditioning to train complex behaviors by rewarding successive approximations toward the target behavior. This method is necessary because organisms are unlikely to perform complex behaviors spontaneously. Instead, shaping breaks down the desired behavior into small, manageable steps.
The steps involved in shaping begin with reinforcing any response that resembles the desired behavior. For example, parents might praise a child for picking up one toy. As...
Molecular Shapes01:18

Molecular Shapes

Molecules have characteristic shapes that are crucial for their function. The arrangement of various electron groups around the central atom dictates their molecular geometry. Electron pairs in the valence shell of a central atom will adopt an arrangement that minimizes repulsions between the electron pairs by maximizing the distance between them. The valence electrons form either bonding pairs, located primarily between bonded atoms, or lone pairs.
Two regions of electron density in a diatomic...
VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes02:52

VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes

Overview of VSEPR Theory
Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions01:29

Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions

Aligning actions are communicative strategies individuals employ to maintain social harmony and preserve personal identity in the face of potential disruptions to social norms. These actions are particularly important in managing social impressions when one's behavior might be seen as inappropriate, incompetent, or morally questionable.Types of Aligning ActionsThe three principal types of aligning actions are disclaimers, accounts, and apologies.DisclaimersDisclaimers are preventive; they are...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Space to Act, Think, and Create.

Annual review of psychology·2025
Same author

Daniel Kahneman (1934-2024).

The American psychologist·2025
Same author

What Affects Perceived Trustworthiness of Online Medical Information and Subsequent Treatment Decision Making? Randomized Trials on the Role of Uncertainty and Institutional Cues.

MDM policy & practice·2024
Same author

Putting it Together, Together.

Cognitive science·2024
Same author

Do colored cells in risk matrices affect decision-making and risk perception? Insights from randomized controlled studies.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis·2023
Same author

Investigating the presentation of uncertainty in an icon array: A randomized trial.

PEC innovation·2022
Same journal

Executive function and social behavior: Causal evidence from loading working memory and inhibitory control.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same journal

Correction to "Your research is public engagement: A case for more intentional science communication in research with human subjects" by Vaughn (2026).

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same journal

Correction to "Costs and benefits of acting extraverted: A randomized controlled trial" by Jacques-Hamilton et al. (2019).

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same journal

Conveying (discrete) emotionality with novel words.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same journal

Physical actions shape moral choices: Environment-directed movements reduce cheating in young children.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
Same journal

From chunks to schemas: Learning in the Hebb repetition paradigm.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies
07:43

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

Published on: August 4, 2023

The shape of action.

Bridgette Martin Hard1, Gabriel Recchia, Barbara Tversky

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. bridgette.hard@stanford.edu

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|August 3, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

People understand complex everyday actions by identifying key moments, or breakpoints, which signify shifts between actions and levels of understanding. These breakpoints are visually distinct and crucial for cognitive processing of behavior.

More Related Videos

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Shape Memory Polymers for Active Cell Culture
10:53

Shape Memory Polymers for Active Cell Culture

Published on: July 4, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 30, 2026

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies
07:43

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

Published on: August 4, 2023

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Shape Memory Polymers for Active Cell Culture
10:53

Shape Memory Polymers for Active Cell Culture

Published on: July 4, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Perception and Action Science
  • Human Behavior Analysis

Background:

  • Understanding complex everyday behaviors is a fundamental cognitive challenge.
  • Previous research has focused on identifying discrete actions, but the perception of transitions between actions remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how individuals perceive and segment everyday activities into meaningful units.
  • To explore the relationship between visual attention, subjective segmentation, and physical changes during action perception.

Main Methods:

  • Participants viewed self-paced slideshows of everyday activities.
  • Data collected included looking times, subjective breakpoints (segmentation points), and physical changes between consecutive slides.
  • Analysis involved comparing the temporal dynamics of these variables.

Main Results:

  • Looking times and physical changes peaked at subjective breakpoints.
  • Higher-level action units were associated with greater looking times and physical change compared to lower-level units.
  • Breakpoints remained distinct and perceptually significant even when the activity slideshows were presented out of order.

Conclusions:

  • Subjective breakpoints serve as critical perceptual and conceptual bridges between actions and levels of understanding.
  • The findings highlight the role of distinct transition moments in the cognitive architecture of action perception.
  • Breakpoints are fundamental to how humans parse and make sense of continuous behavioral streams.