Gender recognition from point-light walkers.
Point-light displays of human gait provide information sufficient to recognize the gender of a walker and are taken as evidence of the exquisite tuning of the visual system to biological motion. The authors revisit this topic with the goals of quantifying human efficiency at gender recognition. To achieve this, the authors first derive an ideal observer for gender recognition on the basis of center of moment (J. E. Cutting, D. R. Proffitt, & L. T. Kozlowski, 1978) and, with the use of anthropometric data from various populations, show optimal recognition of approximately 79% correct. Next, they perform a meta-analysis of 21 experiments examining gender recognition, obtaining accuracies of 66% correct for a side view and 71% for other views. Finally, results of the meta-analysis and the ideal observer are combined to obtain estimates of human efficiency at gender recognition of 26% for the side view and 47% for other views.
Pollick
Frank E
FE
0000-0002-7212-4622
Department of Psychology.
Kay
Jim W
JW
Department of Statistics.
Heim
Katrin
K
Department of Psychology.
Stringer
Rebecca
R
Department of Psychology.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009039:Motion Perception; D009068:Movement; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D014796:Visual Perception; D016138:Walking