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Action affects perception through modulation of attention
Wladimir Kirsch1, Tim Kitzmann2, Wilfried Kunde2
1Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. kirsch@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|March 16, 2021
Summary
Actions influence our perception by altering spatial attention. This study found that estimating target size during movement planning leads to size perception changes, linked to how attention is allocated.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Perception Science
Background:
- Perceptual changes are often observed during actions.
- The underlying mechanisms driving these action-specific perception alterations remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the origin of perceptual changes associated with actions.
- To determine if spatial attention allocation mediates the influence of actions on perception.
Main Methods:
- Experiment 1: Participants performed a target-hitting task with restricted feedback, estimating target size during action planning.
- Experiment 2: Manipulated spatial attention (focused vs. distributed) while measuring perception of a target stimulus, replacing the action task.
Main Results:
- Larger movement distances in Experiment 1 correlated with larger perceived target sizes.
- Perceptual size changes in Experiment 2 mirrored those in Experiment 1, occurring under different attention conditions.
Conclusions:
- Action-related perceptual effects stem from alterations in spatial attention allocation.
- Spatial attention is a key mechanism linking motor actions and sensory perception.
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