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Hitting ability and perception of object's size: evidence for a negative relation.
Wladimir Kirsch1, Elisabeth Königstein, Wilfried Kunde
1Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany, kirsch@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|May 10, 2014
Summary
Skilled motor performance, indicated by accurate and consistent pointing, leads to perceiving targets as smaller. This suggests action ability influences visual perception of object size.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Previous research has explored the link between perception and action.
- The precise relationship between motor performance and perceived object size, especially in near space, requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between motor performance and the perception of object size in near space.
- To determine if action ability affects the perceived size of targets during pointing tasks.
Main Methods:
- Participants repeatedly performed pointing movements to hit a target and estimated its size.
- Experiments varied the task difficulty and timing of size judgments relative to motor actions.
Main Results:
- A negative correlation was found between motor performance and perceived target size.
- Individuals with better motor control (higher accuracy, lower variability) perceived targets as smaller.
- Targets were perceived as smaller when they were easier to hit, both before and after motor tasks.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced action ability can lead to a reduction in the apparent size of target objects.
- Motor performance and visual perception of size are interconnected, with action success influencing perception.
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