title: Snap! Recognising implicit actions in static point-light displays.
abstract: Johansson (1973 Perception & Psychophysics 14 201-211) suggested that point-light displays that are static -- so-called 'snapshots' -- contain little or no information about the actor or their action. Here we present data that suggest even naive observers can perceive such information from static point-light arrays. Observers were able, at rates better than chance, to discriminate the directions of facing of sagittally viewed static point-light walkers. The data show also that, without feedback, performances improved with experience. Our data have implications for assumptions made in designing experiments with point-light displays and for models of the neural mechanisms mediating biological motion perceptions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van der Zwan
mesh_terms: D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design; D016138:Walking