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

Actor-Observer Effect01:23

Actor-Observer Effect

580
The actor-observer effect, a cognitive bias closely linked to the fundamental attribution error, refers to the tendency for individuals to attribute their behavior to external, situational factors while explaining others’ behavior in terms of internal, dispositional traits. This asymmetry in attribution significantly influences social perception and judgment.Cognitive Mechanisms Behind the EffectTwo primary psychological mechanisms contribute to the actor-observer effect: differences in...
580
Muscle Coordination and Action01:24

Muscle Coordination and Action

3.8K
Muscle coordination is a complex and finely tuned process essential for smooth and purposeful movements like flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and rotation. The human body orchestrates the actions of various muscles working in concert, each with a specific role. Four functional types describe how muscles work together: agonist, antagonist, synergist, and fixator.
Agonists
Agonist muscles, often called prime movers, are the primary muscles responsible for producing a specific movement....
3.8K
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

609
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
609
Composite Bodies00:55

Composite Bodies

1.6K
A composite body is a body made up of multiple parts, connected to form a larger, unified object. Each part has its own weight and center of gravity, which must be considered to determine the center of gravity of the composite body. In cases where the density or specific weight is constant, the center of gravity coincides with the centroid.
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...
1.6K
Sound Waves: Interference00:53

Sound Waves: Interference

4.2K
Sound waves can be modeled either as longitudinal waves, wherein the molecules of the medium oscillate around an equilibrium position, or as pressure waves. When two identical waves from the same source superimpose on each other, the combination of two crests or two troughs results in amplitude reinforcement known as constructive interference. If two identical waves, that are initially in phase, become out of phase because of different path lengths, the combination of crests with troughs...
4.2K
Interference and Diffraction02:18

Interference and Diffraction

28.7K
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
28.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Gender in action: Stereotype effects in the action observation-verb processing link.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Implicit imagery tasks facilitate learning in declarative memory: Congruence between imagery modality and verb type enhances recognition.

Memory & cognition·2026
Same author

Aging affects motor planning for grasping everyday objects: A case control study.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Fast or slow: How linguistic context modulates action verb perception and production?

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

First Evidences of the Point-Light Display Observation Methodology in Multi-Pathology Care: A Retrospective Analysis.

Health science reports·2026
Same author

The added value of point-light display observation combined to physical practice in learning a functional strength training movement for experienced athletes.

Human movement science·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

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

Published on: March 1, 2017

13.7K

Interference effect of body shadow in action control.

Arnaud Badets1, Lucette Toussaint, Yannick Blandin

  • 1Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l'Apprentissage, CNRS, UMR-7295, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme et de la Société, Bât A5; 5 rue Théodore Lefebvre, 86000 Poitiers, France. arnaud.badets@univ-poitiers.fr

Perception
|December 6, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Observing a cast shadow influences human imitation behaviors. This study shows that even a shadow, not just a hand, can affect motor control and imitation.

More Related Videos

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface
11:54

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

4.2K
Controlled Rotation of Human Observers in a Virtual Reality Environment
09:11

Controlled Rotation of Human Observers in a Virtual Reality Environment

Published on: April 21, 2022

2.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Creating Virtual-hand and Virtual-face Illusions to Investigate Self-representation
06:53

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

Published on: March 1, 2017

13.7K
Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface
11:54

Real-Time Proxy-Control of Re-Parameterized Peripheral Signals using a Close-Loop Interface

Published on: May 8, 2021

4.2K
Controlled Rotation of Human Observers in a Virtual Reality Environment
09:11

Controlled Rotation of Human Observers in a Virtual Reality Environment

Published on: April 21, 2022

2.2K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Motor Control
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Observing others' actions impacts our own motor behaviors.
  • The influence of cast shadows on motor imitation remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether observing a cast shadow influences imitative behaviors.
  • To compare the effect of observing a hand-shadow versus a hand-hand.

Main Methods:

  • Participants observed a hand and its cast shadow (or another hand).
  • Trials were either compatible (hand and shadow moved together) or incompatible (moved differently).
  • Participants imitated the observed hand or shadow.

Main Results:

  • Incompatible trials led to longer response latencies in both hand-shadow and hand-hand conditions, indicating interference.
  • The temporal dynamics of imitation differed between observing a shadow and observing another hand.
  • Cast shadows significantly influence imitative motor behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • The mere observation of a cast shadow can influence human imitative behaviors.
  • Cast shadows are a relevant feature to consider in motor control.
  • Shadows play a distinct role in imitation compared to direct observation of body parts.