The chapter reviews the most recent behavioural and neuroimaging data supporting an embodied approach that sees perception as a dynamic processing of sensory inputs in relation to the representation of deployable actions. It starts with literature showing that manipulable objects, differently from non-manipulable objects, are perceived through an interaction between the sensory inputs and the motor system. However, the contribution of the motor system is linked to the location of the objects in space and the possibility of acting, that is when manipulable objects are within peripersonal reachable space. Peripersonal space is presented as a multisensory visuo-motor area that is encoded in relation to the representation of our body and possibility of acting with objects in the here and now. It is argued that the embodied representation of peripersonal space probably serves object-oriented motor behaviour, but it has also an effect on more abstract processing of spatial information in cognitive tasks. Moreover, evidence underlining a close relationship between action representation, spatial processing and social interactions is discussed. The conclusion is that peripersonal space is a multisensory-motor area in which sensory stimuli are encoded to generate suitable motor acts and allow socially-relevant behaviours.

Embodied perception of objects and people in space: Towards a unified theoretical framework

IACHINI, Santa
2015

Abstract

The chapter reviews the most recent behavioural and neuroimaging data supporting an embodied approach that sees perception as a dynamic processing of sensory inputs in relation to the representation of deployable actions. It starts with literature showing that manipulable objects, differently from non-manipulable objects, are perceived through an interaction between the sensory inputs and the motor system. However, the contribution of the motor system is linked to the location of the objects in space and the possibility of acting, that is when manipulable objects are within peripersonal reachable space. Peripersonal space is presented as a multisensory visuo-motor area that is encoded in relation to the representation of our body and possibility of acting with objects in the here and now. It is argued that the embodied representation of peripersonal space probably serves object-oriented motor behaviour, but it has also an effect on more abstract processing of spatial information in cognitive tasks. Moreover, evidence underlining a close relationship between action representation, spatial processing and social interactions is discussed. The conclusion is that peripersonal space is a multisensory-motor area in which sensory stimuli are encoded to generate suitable motor acts and allow socially-relevant behaviours.
2015
Coello, Yann; Iachini, Santa
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11591/364397
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