Cite as:
Newell F N, Setti A, 2006, "The effect of rigid and non-rigid motion on object recognition" Perception 35 ECVP Abstract Supplement

The effect of rigid and non-rigid motion on object recognition

F N Newell, A Setti

It is known that motion is an important cue for object recognition, but our understanding of what motion information is integrated into an object's representation in memory is poor. We investigated the role of rigid body and non-rigid, part motion on object recognition using a priming paradigm. Participants were trained to categorise four unfamiliar target objects, each defined as a unique combination of shape and motion patterns. During testing, static images of target objects were primed with objects of either (a) the same body and parts motion; (b) the same body but different parts motion; (c) a different body but same part motion, or (d) no body or part motion (ie static). In experiment 1 we found facilitation for same body motion but not same part motion as the target. When the motion was perceived as causal, then it facilitated recognition (experiment 2). Object motion facilitated recognition even when the motion was not a reliable indicator of object identity (experiment 3). Our results suggest that both rigid and non-rigid object motion are important for object recognition even when shape information is fully available. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the role of dynamic information in object memory.

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