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

Gestalt Principles of Perception01:21

Gestalt Principles of Perception

1.8K
Gestalt principles provide a framework for understanding how humans perceive objects as unified wholes within their context. These principles are essential in explaining the cognitive processes that make sense of complex visual stimuli by organizing them into coherent groups. One fundamental principle is proximity, which posits that objects located close to each other are perceived as a collective group. For instance, when dots are positioned near one another, the visual system interprets them...
1.8K
Schemas01:42

Schemas

12.5K
A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
12.5K
Pascal's Law01:04

Pascal's Law

12.4K
In 1653, the French philosopher and scientist Blaise Pascal published "Treatise on the Equilibrium of Liquids," which discussed the principles of static fluids. A static fluid is a fluid that is not in motion. When a fluid is not flowing, we say that the fluid is in static equilibrium. If the fluid is water, we say it is in hydrostatic equilibrium. For a fluid in static equilibrium, the net force on any part of the fluid must be zero; otherwise, the fluid will start to flow. Pascal...
12.4K
The Representativeness Heuristic02:13

The Representativeness Heuristic

17.1K
The representative heuristic describes a biased way of thinking, in which you unintentionally stereotype someone or something. For example, you may assume that your professors spend their free time reading books and engaging in intellectual conversation, because the idea of them spending their time playing volleyball or visiting an amusement park does not fit in with your stereotypes of professors.
17.1K
Heuristics01:21

Heuristics

913
Heuristics are problem-solving strategies that use mental shortcuts to simplify decision-making. Unlike algorithms, which must be followed precisely to achieve a correct result, heuristics offer a general problem-solving framework. They save time and energy but can sometimes lead to less rational decisions.
People often rely on heuristics when faced with an overload of information, limited time, low importance of the decision, limited information, or when a heuristic readily comes to mind. For...
913
Lenz's Law01:15

Lenz's Law

7.3K
The direction in which the induced emf drives the current around a wire loop can be found through the negative sign. However, it is usually easier to determine this direction with Lenz's law, named in honor of its discoverer, Heinrich Lenz (1804–1865). Lenz's law states that the direction of the induced emf drives the current around a wire loop always to oppose the change in magnetic flux that causes the emf.
If a bar magnet is moved toward a coil such that the magnetic flux...
7.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Modality-general sensitivity of pupil responses to regularity violations.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

Information-Theoretic Measures of Metacognition: Bounds and Relation to Group Performance.

Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science·2025
Same author

Neural correlates of unconscious processing in functional magnetic resonance imaging: does brain activity contain more information than can be consciously reported?

Neuroscience of consciousness·2025
Same author

Reviewing evidence for the perception-action model from Garner interference.

Journal of experimental psychology. Human perception and performance·2025
Same author

Violation of auditory regularities is reflected in pupil dynamics.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2024
Same author

Learning and transfer of response-effect relations.

Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans
10:51

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans

Published on: January 15, 2018

9.1K

Semantic grasping escapes Weber's law.

Christian Löwenkamp1, Wiebke Gärtner1, Isabel D Haus1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Neuropsychologia
|March 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Grasping movements do not follow Weber's law, as movement variability does not increase with object size. This study shows this occurs even without visual cues, suggesting non-sensory factors influence grasping behavior.

Keywords:
ActionGraspingPerceptionSemanticVisualWeber's law

More Related Videos

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
07:08

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

8.8K
Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace
09:11

Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace

Published on: August 8, 2019

6.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans
10:51

Frame-by-Frame Video Analysis of Idiosyncratic Reach-to-Grasp Movements in Humans

Published on: January 15, 2018

9.1K
Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
07:08

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

8.8K
Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace
09:11

Design and Use of an Apparatus for Presenting Graspable Objects in 3D Workspace

Published on: August 8, 2019

6.2K

Area of Science:

  • Psychophysics
  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control

Background:

  • Weber's law states that the just noticeable difference between stimuli increases proportionally with stimulus magnitude.
  • Perception typically becomes more variable with larger stimuli.
  • Grasping movements surprisingly do not follow this principle, as movement variability remains constant regardless of object size.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the absence of Weber's law in grasping.
  • To determine if visual or real-time sensory information is necessary for this phenomenon.
  • To explore alternative explanations for the dissociation between perception and grasping.

Main Methods:

  • Participants performed grasping movements based solely on abstract, semantic information about object size.
  • Visual and real-time sensory feedback regarding the stimulus were eliminated.
  • Movement variability was measured across different abstract object sizes.

Main Results:

  • Grasping movements did not adhere to Weber's law even when only abstract size information was provided.
  • The variability of grasping movements remained consistent irrespective of the presented abstract object size.
  • This demonstrates that the absence of Weber's law in grasping is not solely dependent on visual or real-time sensory processing.

Conclusions:

  • The findings challenge previous interpretations that attributed the absence of Weber's law in grasping to visual processing.
  • The results suggest that non-sensory mechanisms, potentially related to abstract representations or internal decision-making processes, are responsible for this phenomenon.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate these alternative mechanisms influencing grasping behavior.