Dynamics and the orientation of kinematic forms in visual event recognition.
The authors investigated event dynamics as a determinant of the perceptual significance of forms of motion. Patch-light displays were recorded for 9 simple events selected to represent rigid-body dynamics, biodynamics, hydrodynamics, and aerodynamics. Observers described events in a free-response task or by circling properties on a list. Cluster analyses performed on descriptor frequencies reflected the dynamics. Observers discriminated hydro- versus aerodynamic events and animate versus inanimate events. The latter result was confirmed by using a forced-choice task. Dynamical models of the events led us to consider energy flows as a determinant of kinematic properties that allowed animacy to be distinguished. Orientation was manipulated in 3 viewing conditions. Descriptions varied with absolute display orientation rather than the relative orientation of display and observer.
D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*