Abstract
The ability to predict accurately the weights of objects is essential for skilled and dexterous manipulation. A potentially important source of information about object weight is through the observation of other people lifting objects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that when watching an actor lift an object, people naturally learn the object's weight and use this information to scale forces when they subsequently lift the object themselves. Participants repeatedly lifted an object in turn with an actor. Object weight unpredictably changed between 2 and 7 N every 5th to 9th of the actor's lifts, and the weight lifted by the participant always matched that previously lifted by the actor. Even though the participants were uninformed about the structure of the experiment, they appropriately adapted their lifting force in the first trial after a weight change. Thus, participants updated their internal representation about the object's weight, for use in action, when watching a single lift performed by the actor. This ability presumably involves the comparison of predicted and actual sensory information related to actor's actions, a comparison process that is also fundamental in action.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 221-234 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Experimental Brain Research |
| Volume | 228 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 1 2013 |
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Keywords
- Action observation
- Human
- Motor learning
- Object manipulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
Adaptation of lift forces in object manipulation through action observation. / Reichelt, Andreas F.; Ash, Alyssa M.; Baugh, Lee A; Johansson, Roland S.; Flanagan, J. Randall.
In: Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 228, No. 2, 01.07.2013, p. 221-234.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Adaptation of lift forces in object manipulation through action observation
AU - Reichelt, Andreas F.
AU - Ash, Alyssa M.
AU - Baugh, Lee A
AU - Johansson, Roland S.
AU - Flanagan, J. Randall
PY - 2013/7/1
Y1 - 2013/7/1
N2 - The ability to predict accurately the weights of objects is essential for skilled and dexterous manipulation. A potentially important source of information about object weight is through the observation of other people lifting objects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that when watching an actor lift an object, people naturally learn the object's weight and use this information to scale forces when they subsequently lift the object themselves. Participants repeatedly lifted an object in turn with an actor. Object weight unpredictably changed between 2 and 7 N every 5th to 9th of the actor's lifts, and the weight lifted by the participant always matched that previously lifted by the actor. Even though the participants were uninformed about the structure of the experiment, they appropriately adapted their lifting force in the first trial after a weight change. Thus, participants updated their internal representation about the object's weight, for use in action, when watching a single lift performed by the actor. This ability presumably involves the comparison of predicted and actual sensory information related to actor's actions, a comparison process that is also fundamental in action.
AB - The ability to predict accurately the weights of objects is essential for skilled and dexterous manipulation. A potentially important source of information about object weight is through the observation of other people lifting objects. Here, we tested the hypothesis that when watching an actor lift an object, people naturally learn the object's weight and use this information to scale forces when they subsequently lift the object themselves. Participants repeatedly lifted an object in turn with an actor. Object weight unpredictably changed between 2 and 7 N every 5th to 9th of the actor's lifts, and the weight lifted by the participant always matched that previously lifted by the actor. Even though the participants were uninformed about the structure of the experiment, they appropriately adapted their lifting force in the first trial after a weight change. Thus, participants updated their internal representation about the object's weight, for use in action, when watching a single lift performed by the actor. This ability presumably involves the comparison of predicted and actual sensory information related to actor's actions, a comparison process that is also fundamental in action.
KW - Action observation
KW - Human
KW - Motor learning
KW - Object manipulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84879502408&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84879502408&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00221-013-3554-9
DO - 10.1007/s00221-013-3554-9
M3 - Article
VL - 228
SP - 221
EP - 234
JO - Experimental Brain Research
JF - Experimental Brain Research
SN - 0014-4819
IS - 2
ER -