Motion and empathy in the observation of visual art: A role for involuntary motor simulation
Abstract
Observed actions are covertly and involuntarily imitated within the observer's own motor system, a process known as motor simulation, thought to mediate mind reading and perspective taking. Freedberg and Gallese (2007) have suggested that motor simulation plays a part in our aesthetic experience of painting, as static brushstrokes can be simulated as proxies for the dynamic movements of the artists that created them. Four experiments are described wherein participants made left or right arm movements, which are like the act of painting horizontal brushstrokes, while viewing paintings featuring broad, horizontal brushstrokes. Participants responded faster when their movement was compatible with the observed brushstrokes. In addition, participants were asked to identify the direction of movement in paintings. Though performance was above chance, their knowledge was uncorrelated with the compatibility effects observed, which suggests that the compatibility effect occurred independently of conscious knowledge.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Witt, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Cognitive psychology|Aesthetics
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