If observers are shown motion displays consisting of points of light attached to the joints of a moving human, observers can readily identify the human form and the activity being performed. I am interested in several aspects of biological motion.

1) How well can observers determine the sex of the actor in such displays? How do stereotypes about sex-appropriate activities influence such sex judgments?

2) How do additional moving dots mask the perception of biological motion displays? What are the critical temporal and spatial factors?

3) Although biological motion is thought by many to be a relatively pure 'motion' stimulus, it is clear that information about form and structure play a role in perceiving biological motion. How important is this role?

Interested?

Motion-induced blindness

If observers view a large field of motion with several conspicuous but stationary objects, these stationary objects disappear from awareness. This stunning illusion can be used to understand how the brain selects visual information for further processing.

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