scholarly journals Perception of biological motion in point-light displays by jumping spiders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo De Agrò ◽  
Daniela C. Rößler ◽  
Kris Kim ◽  
Paul S. Shamble
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Jumping Spiders ◽  
Visual Behaviors ◽  
History Of ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion ◽  
Point Light Display ◽  
Dynamic Traits

AbstractOver the last 50 years, point-light displays have been successfully used to explore how animals respond to dynamic visual stimuli—specifically, differentiation of the biological from the non-biological. These stimuli are designed to preserve movement patterns while minimizing static detail, with single dots representing each of the main joints of a moving animal. Imposed by their internal skeleton, vertebrate movements follow a specific semi-rigid dynamic pattern, termed “biological-motion”, which can be used to distinguish animate from inanimate objects. Although biological motion detection has not been studied in invertebrates, rigid exoskeletons force many species to also follow semi-rigid movement principles. Due to their highly developed visual system and complex visual behaviors, we investigated the capability of jumping spiders to discriminate biological from non-biological motion using point-light display stimuli. By constraining spiders so that they could rotate but not move directionally, we simultaneously presented two point-light display stimuli with specific dynamic traits and registered their preference by observing which pattern they turned towards. Jumping spiders clearly demonstrated the ability to discriminate between stimuli. However, spiders showed no preference when both stimuli presented patterns with semi-rigid movements, results that are directly comparable to responses in vertebrate systems. This represents the first demonstration of biological motion recognition in an invertebrate, posing crucial questions about the evolutionary history of this ability and complex visual processing in non-vertebrate systems.

scholarly journals Perception of biological motion by jumping spiders

PLoS Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. e3001172
Author(s):  
Massimo De Agrò ◽  
Daniela C. Rößler ◽  
Kris Kim ◽  
Paul S. Shamble
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
The Body ◽  
Jumping Spiders ◽  
Biological Motion Perception ◽  
History Of ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion ◽  
Point Light Display

The body of most creatures is composed of interconnected joints. During motion, the spatial location of these joints changes, but they must maintain their distances to one another, effectively moving semirigidly. This pattern, termed “biological motion” in the literature, can be used as a visual cue, enabling many animals (including humans) to distinguish animate from inanimate objects. Crucially, even artificially created scrambled stimuli, with no recognizable structure but that maintains semirigid movement patterns, are perceived as animated. However, to date, biological motion perception has only been reported in vertebrates. Due to their highly developed visual system and complex visual behaviors, we investigated the capability of jumping spiders to discriminate biological from nonbiological motion using point-light display stimuli. These kinds of stimuli maintain motion information while being devoid of structure. By constraining spiders on a spherical treadmill, we simultaneously presented 2 point-light displays with specific dynamic traits and registered their preference by observing which pattern they turned toward. Spiders clearly demonstrated the ability to discriminate between biological motion and random stimuli, but curiously turned preferentially toward the latter. However, they showed no preference between biological and scrambled displays, results that match responses produced by vertebrates. Crucially, spiders turned toward the stimuli when these were only visible by the lateral eyes, evidence that this task may be eye specific. This represents the first demonstration of biological motion recognition in an invertebrate, posing crucial questions about the evolutionary history of this ability and complex visual processing in nonvertebrate systems.

Biological Motion Detection in Rats

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Visual Cue ◽  
Ballistic Motion ◽  
Theory Versus ◽  
Local Movement ◽  
Life Detection ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Point Light Display ◽  
Innate Ability

This study will examine the rodent visual system by assessing whether they can discriminate between various biological motion point‐light displays. Pilot data suggests that rats can discriminate between a human walker point‐light display walking left and right. Therefore this study will investigate which kind of information rats use to differentiate biological motion; the overall shape of the moving body (conformational theory) versus the local movement of the feet (ballistic motion theory). First, we will train the rats to discriminate between human point‐light displays walking in opposite directions using a modified Morris water maze. Then we will observe their reactions to a backwards‐walking display. If the rats use shape as a visual cue for biological motion, they will swim towards the goal arm that corresponds to the direction the backwards walker is facing. However, if the rats use ballistic motion as a visual cue for biological motion, they will swim towards the goal arm that corresponds to the direction the backwards walker is moving. We hypothesize that rats use the ballistic motion of the feet as a cue for life detection. This is the first study to investigate whether rats can detect biological motion, and will contribute to the theory that animals have evolved an innate ability to quickly detect biological motion of vital importance.

scholarly journals Neural and Neuromimetic Perception: A Comparative Study of Gender Classification from Human Gait

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 10402-1-10402-11
Author(s):  
Viswadeep Sarangi ◽  
Adar Pelah ◽  
William Edward Hahn ◽  
Elan Barenholtz
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Movement Analysis ◽  
Inversion Effect ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Computational Performance ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Perceptual Characteristics ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion

Abstract Humans are adept at perceiving biological motion for purposes such as the discrimination of gender. Observers classify the gender of a walker at significantly above chance levels from a point-light distribution of joint trajectories. However, performance drops to chance level or below for vertically inverted stimuli, a phenomenon known as the inversion effect. This lack of robustness may reflect either a generic learning mechanism that has been exposed to insufficient instances of inverted stimuli or the activation of specialized mechanisms that are pre-tuned to upright stimuli. To address this issue, the authors compare the psychophysical performance of humans with the computational performance of neuromimetic machine-learning models in the classification of gender from gait by using the same biological motion stimulus set. Experimental results demonstrate significant similarities, which include those in the predominance of kinematic motion cues over structural cues in classification accuracy. Second, learning is expressed in the presence of the inversion effect in the models as in humans, suggesting that humans may use generic learning systems in the perception of biological motion in this task. Finally, modifications are applied to the model based on human perception, which mitigates the inversion effect and improves performance accuracy. The study proposes a paradigm for the investigation of human gender perception from gait and makes use of perceptual characteristics to develop a robust artificial gait classifier for potential applications such as clinical movement analysis.

Biological Motion Shown Backwards: The Apparent-Facing Effect

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p3262 ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Pavlova ◽  
Ingeborg Krägeloh-Mann ◽  
Niels Birbaumer ◽  
Alexander Sokolov
Keyword(s):  
Visual Perception ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Presentation Mode ◽  
Reverse Transformation ◽  
Perceptual Identification ◽  
Perceptual Development ◽  
Apparent Direction ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion ◽  
Order Of Presentation

We examined how showing a film backwards (reverse transformation) affects the visual perception of biological motion. Adults and 6-year-old children saw first a point-light quadruped moving normally as if on a treadmill, and then saw the same display in reverse transformation. For other groups the order of presentation was the opposite. Irrespective of the presentation mode (normal or reverse) and of the facing of the point-light figure (rightward or leftward), a pronounced apparent-facing effect was observed: the perceptual identification of a display was mainly determined by the apparent direction of locomotion. The findings suggest that in interpreting impoverished point-light biological-motion stimuli the visual system may neglect distortions caused by showing a film backwards. This property appears to be robust across perceptual development. Possible explanations of the apparent-facing effect are discussed.

A Chimeric Point-Light Walker

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p5010 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M Thornton ◽  
Quoc C Vuong ◽  
Heinrich H Bülthoff
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Ambiguous Figure ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Motion Pattern ◽  
Initial Report ◽  
Constant Direction ◽  
Point Light ◽  
The Right

Ambiguity has long been used as a probe into visual processing. Here, we describe a new dynamic ambiguous figure—the chimeric point-light walker—which we hope will prove to be a useful tool for exploring biological motion. We begin by describing the construction of the stimulus and discussing the compelling finding that, when presented in a mask, observers consistently fail to notice anything odd about the walker, reporting instead that they are watching an unambiguous figure moving either to the left or right. Some observers report that the initial percept fluctuates, moving first to the left, then to the right, or vice versa; others always perceive a constant direction. All observers, when briefly shown the unmasked ambiguous figure, have no difficulty in perceiving the novel motion pattern once the mask is returned. These two findings—the initial report of unambiguous motion and the subsequent ‘primed’ perception of the ambiguity—are both consistent with an important role for top–down processing in biological motion. We conclude by suggesting several domains within the realm of biological-motion processing where this simple stimulus may prove to be useful.

Intact Perception of Biological Motion in the Face of Profound Spatial Deficits: Williams Syndrome

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Jordan ◽  
Jason E. Reiss ◽  
James E. Hoffman ◽  
Barbara Landau
Keyword(s):  
Williams Syndrome ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Spatial Integration ◽  
Local Motion ◽  
Human Form ◽  
The Face ◽  
Spatial System ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that results in profound spatial cognitive deficits. We examined whether individuals with WS have intact perception of biological motion, which requires global spatial integration of local motion signals into a unitary percept of a human form. Children with WS, normal mental-age-matched children, and normal adults viewed point-light-walker (PLW) displays portraying a human figure walking to the left or right. Children with WS were as good as or better than control children in their ability to judge the walker's direction, even when it was masked with dynamic noise that mimicked the local motion of the PLW lights. These results show that mechanisms underlying the perception of at least some kinds of biological motion are unimpaired in children with WS. They provide the first evidence of selective sparing of a specialized spatial system in individuals with a known genetic impairment.

scholarly journals Attentional networks and biological motion

Psihologija ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandramouli Chandrasekaran ◽  
Lucy Turner ◽  
Heinrich Bülthoff ◽  
Ian Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Biological Motion ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Light Stimuli ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

Our ability to see meaningful actions when presented with point-light traces of human movement is commonly referred to as the perception of biological motion. While traditional explanations have emphasized the spontaneous and automatic nature of this ability, more recent findings suggest that attention may play a larger role than is typically assumed. In two studies we show that the speed and accuracy of responding to point-light stimuli is highly correlated with the ability to control selective attention. In our first experiment we measured thresholds for determining the walking direction of a masked point-light figure, and performance on a range of attention-related tasks in the same set of observers. Mask-density thresholds for the direction discrimination task varied quite considerably from observer to observer and this variation was highly correlated with performance on both Stroop and flanker interference tasks. Other components of attention, such as orienting, alerting and visual search efficiency, showed no such relationship. In a second experiment, we examined the relationship between the ability to determine the orientation of unmasked point-light actions and Stroop interference, again finding a strong correlation. Our results are consistent with previous research suggesting that biological motion processing may requite attention, and specifically implicate networks of attention related to executive control and selection.

Investigating cognitive style differences in the perception of biological motion associated with visuospatial processing

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaivo Thomson ◽  
Anthony Watt
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Style ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Field Independent ◽  
Visuospatial Processing ◽  
Figure Test ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Processing Errors ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion

Abstract The purpose of the study was to compare the visuospatial decision-making error scores related to the perception of biological motion of individuals categorized as field dependent or field independent. A sample of 69 participants aged 18-27 years (M = 21.91, SD = 2.39) that included 33 males and 36 females completed the experiment. Cognitive style was assessed using the Group Embedded Figure Test. Perception of biological motion was evaluated using two different point-light stimuli developed from video images of a ballet dancer’s performance of a correct and incorrect turn in the fifth position. The results showed that individuals classified as field independent made significantly fewer visuospatial processing errors. The findings are considered and discussed in relation to theoretical perspectives associated with both cognitive processing and cognitive style.

Perception of Biological Motion

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1539-1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicki Ahlström ◽  
Randolph Blake ◽  
Ulf Ahlström
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Structure From Motion ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Frequency Filtering ◽  
Unique Form ◽  
Contrast Polarity ◽  
Spatial Frequency Filtering ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Perception Of Biological Motion

Boundary conditions for perception of biological motion were explored with the use of computer-generated point-light animation sequences. Perception of this unique form of structure from motion is immune to variations in dot contrast polarity, dot disparity, and spatial-frequency filtering. Biological motion is perceived in texture-defined animation sequences that presumably stimulate only second-order motion pathways, and it is undisturbed by dichoptic presentation of portions of the animation tokens separately to the two eyes.

Skill Level and Graphical Detail Shape Perceptual Judgments in Tennis

Perception ◽  
10.1068/p7035 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 1447-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Loffing ◽  
Timo Wilkes ◽  
Norbert Hagemann
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Biological Motion ◽  
Visual Features ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Perceptual Judgments ◽  
Tennis Court ◽  
Point Light ◽  
Display Content ◽  
Point Light Display ◽  
The Impact

Reducing the representation of human actions from normal video to biological motion animation in perceptual tasks means removing a number of visual features from the scenery, thereby eliminating potentially useful information for successfully performing the task. To determine the impact of selected visual features on perceptual judgments in tennis, we invited skilled players and novices to predict baseline shot direction under four different display conditions (PL: point-light display; PL_TC: PL plus an animated tennis court; NV_NB: normal video without ball; NV: normal video). Skilled players clearly outperformed novices and prediction performance increased with more realistic display content. Both groups were similarly affected by display conditions and across groups significant differences between conditions were only found for PL vs NV, and PL_TC vs NV, respectively. Application of signal detection theory on response data revealed that, unlike novices, skilled players showed a bias towards preferentially expecting cross-court shots and this bias increased with enhancement in graphical detail. Results confirm previous research in that biological motion appears to provide the minimal essential information necessary for correctly predicting an opponent's intent, particularly in skilled players. In addition, findings indicate that a combination of player and scenery-related visual information is likely to facilitate visual anticipation; however, such information seems to impact skilled players' and novices' response behaviour differently.

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