Action Effects on Visual Perception of Distances: A Multilevel Bayesian Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Perception Science
• Human Motor Control

Background:

• Previous research indicates a link between physical actions and the visual perception of distances.
• The hypothesis is that increased effort or constraints in performing an action lead to an overestimation of the distance involved.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the influence of action constraints on distance perception using a meta-analytic approach.
• To investigate whether the effect varies across different types of action constraints (effort, weight, tool use) or motor intentions.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a multilevel Bayesian meta-analysis of 37 studies, incorporating data from 1,035 participants.
• Analyzed effect sizes (Hedges's g) to determine the overall magnitude of the action-constraint effect on distance estimation.
• Examined moderators such as action-constraint category and motor intention.

Main Results:

• A small but statistically significant effect of action constraints on distance perception was found (Hedges's g = 0.29).
• The effect showed minor variations across different action-constraint categories but was not influenced by motor intention.
• The possibility of experimental demand biases was considered but not definitively supported or dismissed by the data.

Conclusions:

• Action constraints exert a small, reliable influence on visual distance estimation, suggesting a genuine perceptual effect.
• The findings provide guidelines for interpreting effect sizes and determining sample sizes for future research in this area.
• Researchers are encouraged to contribute data to an online repository to facilitate ongoing updates to the meta-analysis.