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Multilevel Perceptual-Motor Coupling: From Action Understanding to Execution
Zhongquan Du1,2, Yingzhi Lu1,2, Chenglin Zhou1,2
1School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
|March 17, 2026
Summary
Kinematic invariants link perception and action by enabling movement execution and understanding. This review details three interacting levels of perceptual-motor coupling crucial for human cognition and skills.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Human Behavior
Background:
- Perceptual-motor coupling is vital for human cognition and action.
- Kinematic invariants act as a common language between perception and action.
- Striking skills exemplify complex perceptual-motor interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize evidence on three interacting levels of perceptual-motor coupling.
- Integrate theories like dual-stream, model-based control, and common coding.
- Provide a multilevel understanding of perception-action relationships.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing scientific evidence.
- Analysis through the lens of striking skills.
- Synthesis of theories on kinematic invariants and perceptual-motor coupling.
Main Results:
- Identified three simultaneous levels of perceptual-motor coupling: invariant extraction (Level 1), action execution (Level 2), and action understanding (Level 3).
- Kinematic invariants are processed differently at each level while maintaining interaction.
- Demonstrated the simultaneous operation of these levels in real-world performance.
Conclusions:
- Kinematic invariants are central to a multilevel framework of perceptual-motor coupling.
- This framework integrates perception, action execution, and action understanding.
- Offers insights into human cognition, applicable from daily actions to specialized skills.
Keywords:
action executionaction identificationaction observationmotor controlperceptual‐motor couplingMore Related Videos
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