Contributions of perceptual and motor experience of an observed action to anticipating its result.
To gain deeper insight into respective contributions of perceptual and motor experience of an observed action to anticipating its result, we examined the perceptual anticipation of players with different action roles in striking sports. Baseball pitchers and batters at both advanced and intermediate levels were asked to make a decision about whether to swing the bat when viewing a series of videos showing incomplete sequences of a model pitcher throwing a strike or a ball. The results revealed that first 100 ms of ball flight could discriminate advanced batters from intermediate pitchers and batters (with no difference between intermediate pitchers and batters). Particularly, advanced batters (perceptual experts with regard to pitching action) were statistically more accurate and less uncertain in making decisions than were intermediate players, whereas advanced pitchers (motor experts) only showed this tendency without reaching a statistically significant level. Moreover, advanced batters demonstrated greater perceptual sensitivity in discriminating when to swing at strikes over balls than all other players. Our findings suggested that when players were above intermediate level, perceptual experience of an observed action facilitated the perceptual anticipation to a greater extent than motor experience of producing it. (PsycINFO Database Record
Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University.
Yin-Hua
YH
Chen
Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University.
Pei-Hong
PH
Lee
Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University.
Yu-Wen
YW
Lu
Department of Physical Education, Chinese Culture University.
Shih-Kuei
SK
Huang
Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, and Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University.
Nai-Shing
NS
Yen
D000328:Adult; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001484:Baseball / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult