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Different contexts change the impression of animacy
Giulia Parovel1, Stefano Guidi2, Karina Kreß2
1Department of Social, Political and Cognitive Sciences, University of Siena, Via Roma, 56, 53100, Siena, Italy. giulia.parovel@unisi.it.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|November 29, 2017
Summary
Contextual cues significantly influence perceived animacy. Dynamic and "moving away" scenarios enhance animacy perception, linking to emotions and intentions, revealing context
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Perception Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Perceptual saliency of animacy is crucial for understanding agent behavior.
- The relationship between perceived animacy and attributed emotions/intentions requires further exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how spatiotemporal context affects the perception of animacy.
- To examine the link between perceived animacy and attributed emotions/intentions.
Main Methods:
- Paired-comparisons and ratings assessed animacy perception of a moving target square.
- Contextual elements included static/dynamic squares with varying trajectories.
- Phenomenological reports analyzed emotional and intentional attributions.
Main Results:
- Context significantly modulated animacy perception; dynamic contexts and 'moving away' trajectories yielded stronger effects.
- The 'moving away' condition was associated with negative emotions, while 'approaching' evoked positive emotions.
- Animacy perception is graded, ranging from basic aliveness to specific intentions/emotions.
Conclusions:
- Spatiotemporal context is a critical factor in the emergence and perception of animacy.
- Animacy is a multifaceted concept influenced by environmental dynamics and interactions.
- Understanding contextual influences on animacy perception has implications for designing interactive systems.
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