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

Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions

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...

Law of Effect

Law of Effect

B.F. Skinner, a prominent figure in behavioral psychology, introduced operant conditioning by emphasizing the role of consequences in shaping behavior. This theory builds upon the law of effect proposed by Edward Thorndike, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated. In contrast, those followed by unsatisfying outcomes are less likely to recur.
Edward Thorndike's foundational work involved studying learning in animals, particularly using puzzle...

Actor-Observer Effect

Actor-Observer Effect

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...

Subliminal Perception

Subliminal Perception

Subliminal perception refers to the processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. Researchers study subliminal perception by presenting a stimulus, such as a word or image, very quickly, typically around 50 milliseconds. This rapid presentation is often followed by another stimulus, such as a pattern of dots or lines, which blocks further mental processing of the initial stimulus. As a result, if participants cannot identify the initial stimulus better...

Fixed Action Patterns

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.

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action

Indirect-Acting Cholinergic Agonists: Mechanism of Action

Indirect-acting cholinergic agonists work by interacting with an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic cleft. They can be reversible or irreversible inhibitors and have different effects on the enzyme.
Reversible inhibitors like edrophonium bind to a specific part of the enzyme called the anionic catalytic site. They form noncovalent bonds, which means they are not strongly attached to the enzyme. This creates a temporary and less stable enzyme–inhibitor complex,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Moving beyond discrete categories in motor cognition.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026

Same author

Error Cancellation During Early Task Performance.

Experimental psychology·2026

Same author

Mental health in challenging situations: how experienced agency affects coping and mental distress.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

Agents' awareness of visuo-motor incongruency determines changes in haptic sensitivity.

Experimental brain research·2026

Same author

Response activation in error processing: Assessing leakage into upcoming action episodes.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2026

Same author

Binding continuous response features of extended movements: Integration with discrete response but not stimulus features.

Psychological research·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 29, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 8, 2021

Perceiving by proxy: effect-based action control with unperceivable effects.

Roland Pfister¹, Christina U Pfeuffer¹, Wilfried Kunde¹

¹Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Department of Psychology III, Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.

|May 24, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Anticipating future sensory events can prime actions, even without physical experience. Merely imagining action-effect contingencies influences behavior, demonstrating the power of mental representations in action control.

Keywords:

Action effects Empathy Ideomotor theory Imagery Instruction Sensory anticipations

More Related Videos

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Published on: May 14, 2014

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Published on: August 4, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 29, 2026

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

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

Published on: May 8, 2021

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Published on: May 14, 2014

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Author Spotlight: A Novel Setup to Conduct Naturalistic Laboratory Experiments with Real Human Actors in Scenarios

Published on: August 4, 2023

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Motor Control

Background:

Action anticipation typically relies on prior physical experiences linking actions to their effects.
The role of purely imagined action effects on motor control remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether imagined action effects can influence behavior similarly to physically experienced effects.
To determine if knowledge of action-effect contingencies is sufficient for action control without direct experience.

Main Methods:

Utilized the response-effect compatibility paradigm across three experiments.
Manipulated the knowledge of action-effect contingencies, contrasting imagined versus experienced effects.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that mere knowledge of action-effect contingencies influences action control, even without physical experience.
Identified that this mechanism is effortful and dependent on explicit intentions.

Conclusions:

Mental representations of action effects can guide motor actions akin to actual experiences.
Suggests a cognitive mechanism for action control based on learned or imagined contingencies, highlighting the role of intention.