Effector-specific motor simulation supplements core action recognition processes in adverse conditions
(2023) Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience — Vol. 18, n° 1, p. 1-11 (2023)
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- Observing other people acting activates imitative motor plans in the observer. Whether, and if so when and how, such 'effector-specific motor simulation' contributes to action recognition remains unclear. We report that individuals born without upper limbs (IDs)-who cannot covertly imitate upper-limb movements-are significantly less accurate at recognizing degraded (but not intact) upper-limb than lower-limb actions (i.e. point-light animations). This finding emphasizes the need to reframe the current controversy regarding the role of effector-specific motor simulation in action recognition: instead of focusing on the dichotomy between motor and non-motor theories, the field would benefit from new hypotheses specifying when and how effector-specific motor simulation may supplement core action recognition processes to accommodate the full variety of action stimuli that humans can recognize.
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Vannuscorps, G., & Caramazza, A. (2023). Effector-specific motor simulation supplements core action recognition processes in adverse conditions. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 18(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsad046 (Original work published 2023)