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

484
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...
484
Hindsight Biases01:12

Hindsight Biases

4.5K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now? 
4.5K
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes01:15

Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes

254
Cognitive processes affect social behavior by guiding how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social stimuli. These mental processes enable individuals to assess others' behaviors, attribute causes to their actions, and form expectations based on past experiences.Causes of Behavior and Social JudgmentsIndividuals determine the causes of others' behaviors by distinguishing between personal traits and external circumstances. For example, if a friend frequently arrives late, an...
254
The Influence of Cognition on Affect01:29

The Influence of Cognition on Affect

269
Cognition plays a pivotal role in shaping emotional experiences, as demonstrated by Schachter and Singer’s two-factor theory of emotion. According to this model, emotion arises from a combination of physiological arousal and cognitive interpretation. The body’s physiological response to stimuli is ambiguous and only gains emotional significance through cognitive labeling. For instance, an increased heart rate and adrenaline surge while standing near an attractive person may be...
269
Nonconscious Mimicry01:13

Nonconscious Mimicry

5.2K
Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.
5.2K
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

305
Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
305

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Domain-specific perceptual grouping of human dyads: evidence from autistic trait profiles.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Correction: A reverse hierarchy theory of social perception.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026
Same author

A reverse hierarchy theory of social perception.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026
Same author

No crisis when attention is the outcome of selective action.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2025
Same author

Grasping at illusions: stimulating cutaneous afferents to create kinesthetic illusions.

Experimental brain research·2025
Same author

Distinct signatures of social and emotional cues in memory and eye movements.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults
08:25

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Published on: October 19, 2014

15.9K

Humans are sensitive to attention control when predicting others' actions.

Ana Pesquita1, Craig S Chapman2, James T Enns3

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4; anapesquita@gmail.com.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 21, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Humans can implicitly detect how another person

Keywords:
action observationaction predictionattentionautism spectrumsocial perception

More Related Videos

Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
13:00

Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments

Published on: January 23, 2017

10.4K
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

9.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults
08:25

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults

Published on: October 19, 2014

15.9K
Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
13:00

Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments

Published on: January 23, 2017

10.4K
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

9.6K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Social Neuroscience
  • Human Attention Studies

Background:

  • Human social perception is highly sensitive to the direction of attention.
  • Previous research focused on *where* attention is directed, not *how* it is deployed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if humans are sensitive to the *control* of another's attention (chosen vs. externally directed).
  • To explore the mechanisms underlying this sensitivity in social cognition.

Main Methods:

  • Observers watched videos of actors reaching for targets under endogenous (self-chosen) and exogenous (externally directed) control.
  • Response times were measured to assess observer sensitivity.
  • Experiments manipulated visual information (masking faces/limbs, temporal visibility).

Main Results:

  • Observers responded faster when attention control was endogenous (chosen), indicating implicit sensitivity.
  • Sensitivity persisted even with masked visual cues or limited temporal information.
  • Individual differences in sensitivity correlated with social aptitude measures.

Conclusions:

  • Humans possess an implicit kinematic sensitivity to the control of others' attention.
  • This sensitivity is linked to empathy and supports predictive modeling of attentional states in social cognition.