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Updated: Jul 29, 2025

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Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
Published on: April 16, 2014
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The influence of action on perception spans different effectors
Annalisa Bosco1,2, Pablo Sanz Diez3,4, Matteo Filippini1
1Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
|May 19, 2023
Summary
Action significantly influences perception, both during planning and after execution. This motor-driven effect primes our senses for relevant environmental features and enhances perception through learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Perception
Background:
- Perception and action are fundamental human processes with a reciprocal interaction.
- Evidence suggests a shared representational system underlies perception and action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the influence of motor actions on perception.
- Focus on the impact of action planning and execution on sensory processing.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies examining the action-effect on perception.
- Analysis of different motor effectors (eyes, hands, legs).
- Consideration of various experimental approaches and paradigms.
Main Results:
- Motor actions demonstrably affect perception before and after execution.
- Different effectors (eyes, hands, legs) have distinct impacts on spatial and object perception.
- The action effect pragmatically primes perception for relevant environmental features.
Conclusions:
- Action significantly shapes and primes perception, often enhancing it through motor learning.
- Mechanisms underlying this action-perception link require further investigation.
- Potential applications include enhancing trust in human-interacting artificial intelligence.
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