@article{ParkinsonSpringerPrinz2012, author = {Parkinson, Jim and Springer, Anne and Prinz, Wolfgang}, title = {Before, during and after you disappear: aspects of timing and dynamic updating of the real-time action simulation of human motions}, series = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, volume = {76}, journal = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0340-0727}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-012-0422-3}, pages = {421 -- 433}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The detailed dynamics of action simulation was investigated using the occluder paradigm: a point light actor (PLA) was shown, then briefly occluded from view, during which period action simulation was generated. Following occlusion, the PLA reappeared, either a progression of the motion as it should be post-occlusion or temporally shifted earlier/later. Participants made judgements on whether the reappearing PLA was too early or too late to be a correct continuation (Experiments 1 and 3) or whether it was a veridical continuation or not (Experiment 2). Over three experiments we asked how action simulation is affected by motion information before, during and after occlusion. Reducing motion presented before occlusion retained the accuracy of action simulation judgements. Presenting 4 frames (67 ms) of PLA motion during the occluder duration dynamically updates or altogether regenerates the action simulation. Reducing the duration of the test motion after the occluder decreases judgement precision, which we interpret as a limitation in the process of postdictive motion judgments. Overall, this is further evidence that the action simulation process is remarkably adapted to making human motion predictions.}, language = {en} } @article{SpringerHuttenlocherPrinz2012, author = {Springer, Anne and Huttenlocher, Agnes and Prinz, Wolfgang}, title = {Language-induced modulation during the prediction of others' actions}, series = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, volume = {76}, journal = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0340-0727}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-012-0411-6}, pages = {456 -- 466}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Processing of action words has been shown to influence the perception of the actions the words refer to. Specifically, the accuracy with which people predict the future course of actions observed in another individual seems to be affected by verbal primes. Two processes may be involved in action prediction; dynamic simulation (updating) and static matching. The present study examined this issue by testing the impact of action verb processing on action prediction performance using a masked priming paradigm. Evidence of dynamic updating was revealed after prime verbs expressing dynamic actions (e.g., 'to catch') but not those expressing static actions (e.g., 'to lean'). In contrast to previous work, the primes were masked and did not require any response at all. Hence, our results indicate that implicit action-related linguistic processing may trigger action simulation that in turn might affect action prediction (see also Liepelt, Dolk, \& Prinz, Psychological Research, 2012, in this issue).}, language = {en} } @article{SparenbergTopolinskiSpringeretal.2012, author = {Sparenberg, Peggy and Topolinski, Sascha and Springer, Anne and Prinz, Wolfgang}, title = {Minimal mimicry: Mere effector matching induces preference}, series = {Brain and cognition : a journal of experimental and clinical research}, volume = {80}, journal = {Brain and cognition : a journal of experimental and clinical research}, number = {3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {0278-2626}, doi = {10.1016/j.bandc.2012.08.004}, pages = {291 -- 300}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Both mimicking and being mimicked induces preference for a target. The present experiments investigate the minimal sufficient conditions for this mimicry-preference link to occur. We argue that mere effector matching between one's own and the other person's movement is sufficient to induce preference, independent of which movement is actually performed. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants moved either their arms or legs, and watched avatars that moved either their arms or legs, respectively, without any instructions to mimic. The executed movements themselves and their pace were completely different between participants (fast circular movements) and targets (slow linear movements). Participants preferred avatars that moved the same body part as they did over avatars that moved a different body part. In Experiment 3, using human targets and differently paced movements, movement similarity was manipulated in addition to effector overlap (moving forward-backward or sideways with arms or legs, respectively). Only effector matching, but not movement matching, influenced preference ratings. These findings suggest that mere effector overlap is sufficient to trigger preference by mimicry. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{StadlerSpringerParkinsonetal.2012, author = {Stadler, Waltraud and Springer, Anne and Parkinson, Jim and Prinz, Wolfgang}, title = {Movement kinematics affect action prediction comparing human to non-human point-light actions}, series = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, volume = {76}, journal = {Psychological research : an international journal of perception, attention, memory, and action}, number = {4}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {0340-0727}, doi = {10.1007/s00426-012-0431-2}, pages = {395 -- 406}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The influence of movement kinematics on the accuracy of predicting the time course of another individual's actions was studied. A human point-light shape was animated with human movement (natural condition) and with artificial movement that was more uniform regarding velocity profiles and trajectories (artificial condition). During brief occlusions, the participants predicted the actions in order to judge after occlusion whether the actions were continued coherently in time or shifted to an earlier or later frame. Error rates and reaction times were increased in the artificial compared to the natural condition. The findings suggest a perceptual advantage for movement with a human velocity profile, corresponding to the notion of a close interaction between observed and executed movement. The results are discussed in the framework of the simulation account and alternative interpretations are provided on the basis of correlations between the velocity profiles of natural and artificial movements with prediction performance.}, language = {en} } @article{StadlerOttSpringeretal.2012, author = {Stadler, Waltraud and Ott, Derek V. M. and Springer, Anne and Schubotz, Ricarda I. and Sch{\"u}tz-Bosbach, Simone and Prinz, Wolfgang}, title = {Repetitive TMS suggests a role of the human dorsal premotor cortex in action prediction}, series = {Frontiers in human neuroscienc}, volume = {6}, journal = {Frontiers in human neuroscienc}, number = {2}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2012.00020}, pages = {11}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Predicting the actions of other individuals is crucial for our daily interactions. Recent evidence suggests that the prediction of object-directed arm and full-body actions employs the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd). Thus, the neural substrate involved in action control may also be essential for action prediction. Here, we aimed to address this issue and hypothesized that disrupting the PMd impairs action prediction. Using fMRI-guided coil navigation, rTMS (five pulses, 10Hz) was applied over the left PMd and over the vertex (control region) while participants observed everyday actions in video clips that were transiently occluded for 1s. The participants detected manipulations in the time course of occluded actions, which required them to internally predict the actions during occlusion. To differentiate between functional roles that the PMd could play in prediction, rTMS was either delivered at occluder-onset (TMS-early), affecting the initiation of action prediction, or 300 ms later during occlusion(TMS-late), affecting the maintenance of anongoing prediction. TMS-early over the left PMd produced more prediction errors than TMS-early over the vertex. TMS-late had no effect on prediction performance, suggesting that the left PMd might be involved particularly during the initiation of internally guided action prediction but may play a subordinate role in maintaining ongoing prediction. These findings open a new perspective on the role of the left PMd in action prediction which is in line with its functions in action control and in cognitive tasks. In the discussion, there levance of the left PMd for integrating external action parameters with the observer's motor repertoire is emphasized. Overall, the results are in line with the notion that premotor functions are employed in both action control and action observation.}, language = {en} } @article{SpringerBeyerDerrfussetal.2012, author = {Springer, Anne and Beyer, Juliane and Derrfuss, Jan and Volz, Kirsten G. and Hannover, Bettina}, title = {SEEING YOU OR THE SCENE? SELF-CONSTRUALS MODULATE INHIBITORY MECHANISMS OF ATTENTION}, series = {Social cognition : the journal of the International Social Cognition Network}, volume = {30}, journal = {Social cognition : the journal of the International Social Cognition Network}, number = {2}, publisher = {Guilford Press}, address = {New York}, issn = {0278-016X}, pages = {133 -- 152}, year = {2012}, abstract = {It has often been shown that independent self-construals (emphasizing personal uniqueness) coincide with an analytic, context-independent style of information processing whereas interdependent self-construals (emphasizing relatedness with others) promote holistic, context-dependent processing. The present study suggests that these cognitive variations between different self-construals can be accounted for by higher order cognitive functions for the control of ongoing mental operations (i.e., executive functions). Using an experimental paradigm, we showed naturalistic pictures displaying a face and a place superimposed on each other. On each trial, one of these dimensions served as a target (depicted in magenta), while the other served as a distractor (depicted in gray). The results showed that independency primed participants were less affected by distractors appearing in the presence of a target (i.e., smaller interference effect) than interdependency primed participants. Importantly, the independency primed participants revealed evidence of mental inhibition of distractors, showing longer reaction times when previously ignored distractors subsequently became targets (i.e., a negatively signed priming effect). Thus, our study is the first to suggest that differences in fundamental processes of cognitive control, namely, the inhibition of automatically triggered (but inappropriate) response tendencies, are the driving force behind the many previously reported differences between individuals primed for independency versus interdependency.}, language = {en} }