title: Avoiding Accidents at the Champagne Reception.
abstract: Using a lifting and balancing task, we contrasted two alternative views of planning joint actions: one postulating that joint action involves distinct predictions for self and other, the other postulating that joint action involves coordinated plans between the coactors and reuse of bimanual models. We compared compensatory movements required to keep a tray balanced when 2 participants lifted glasses from each other's trays at the same time (simultaneous joint action) and when they took turns lifting (sequential joint action). Compared with sequential joint action, simultaneous joint action made it easier to keep the tray balanced. Thus, in keeping with the view that bimanual models are reused for joint action, predicting the timing of their own lifting action helped participants compensate for another person's lifting action. These results raise the possibility that simultaneous joint actions do not necessarily require distinguishing between one's own and the coactor's contributions to the action plan and may afford an agent-neutral stance.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pezzulo
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierpaolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iodice
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Donnarumma
authors.affiliation: 2 Computer Science Engineering, University of Palermo.
authors.forename: Haris
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dindo
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Cognitive Science, Central European University.
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Knoblich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: action prediction; action synchronicity; joint action