The space contraction asymmetry in Michotte's launching effect

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Visual perception
• Spatial cognition

Background:

• Previous research indicates spatial contraction occurs between causal and effect objects due to perceived causality.
• The extent and symmetry of this spatial contraction remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether causal and effect objects exert equal influence on spatial contraction.
• To analyze the asymmetry of spatial contraction in a launching effect paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified launching effect paradigm with a bridging bar to measure perceived spatial gaps.
• Conducted experiments to validate length underestimation and analyze perceived object displacements.
• Controlled for potential confounds such as continuous contact between objects.

Main Results:

• Confirmed absolute underestimation of the bar's length between launcher and target.
• Observed asymmetric displacement: the causal object's contact point shifted more than the effect object's.
• Demonstrated that this contraction asymmetry is not due to continuous contact and exhibits postdictive properties.

Conclusions:

• Spatial contraction between causal and effect objects in the launching effect is asymmetric.
• Perception involves nonequidistant shifts of causal and effect objects towards each other in visual space.