DMCA
Can actions affect perceptual processing?
| Citations: | 1 - 0 self |
BibTeX
@MISC{Muèsseler_canactions,
author = {Jochen Muèsseler and Silke Steininger and Peter Wuèhr},
title = {Can actions affect perceptual processing?},
year = {}
}
Share
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
OpenURL
Abstract
Previous studies reported impairments in a perceptual task performed during the selection and executionof an action. These ®ndings, however, always raise the question of whether the impairment actually re¯ects a reduction in perceptual sensitivity or whether it results only from an unspeci®c reduction in attentiveness given the perceptual task. Recent studies by the authors indicate that actions can also have a speci®c impact on perception in a dual-task situation. The identi®cation of a left or right arrow is impaired when it appears during the execution of a compatible left or right keypress. In three experiments Signal Detection Theory is applied to test whether this impairment is also found in the sensitivity measure d 9 or whether it originates only from a response tendency. The results revealed a general lower d 9 for the identi®cation of arrows that were compatible to simultaneously executed keypresses than for arrows that were incompatible. The bias measure c was small and/or did not differ between conditions. Additional analyses revealed that the impairment is due to a higher mean perceptual degradation of stimuli in the compatible condition and that it is restricted to the point in time when the central movement command is generated. Thus, actions actually seem able to affect perceptual processing. Perception and action seem to ful®l different functions: Perception processes pick up and analyse events in our environment by afferent mechanisms, whereas action processes produce and change events in our environment by efferent mechanisms. Although these two mental functions can be highly interactive under most ecological conditions (e.g., in sensorimotor tasks like pointing or grasping), they are often considered to be two self-contained functions that, to a high degree, operate independently. However, some everyday-life observations give reason to doubt this independence. Imagine, you are intensely watching a soccer game on TV, eating away at a bowl of popcorn, when sud-denly something happens in the game. Immediately you stop reaching for the popcorn. It is your ``impression’ ’ that during reaching and eating you cannot ``perceive’ ’ in an
Keyphrases
perceptual processing identi cation perceptual task change event efferent mechanism compatible condition sensorimotor task dual-task situation central movement command previous study unspeci reduction sensitivity measure high degree something happens ecological condition response tendency different function perceptual sensitivity soccer game recent study self-contained function bias measure speci impact right arrow experiment signal detection theory compatible left whereas action mental function right keypress mean perceptual degradation afferent mechanism everyday-life observation analyse event
