TY - JOUR
T1 - Distinct kinematic markers of demonstration and joint action coordination? Evidence from virtual xylophone playing
AU - McEllin, Luke
AU - Knoblich, Günther
AU - Sebanz, Natalie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - When performing joint actions, people modulate instrumental actions to provide additional information for a coactor (Pezzulo, Donnarumma, & Dindo, 2013). Similarly, demonstrators adjust instrumental actions to make them more informative for novice learners (Brand, Baldwin, & Ashburn, 2002). It is unknown whether the kinematic modulations performed to facilitate prediction in joint action coordination and the modulations performed to transmit information about the structure of novel actions are unique, or whether a general type of modulation can take on multiple functions. The present study therefore investigated whether there are unique kinematic markers for demonstration and for different types of joint action. In three experiments participants performed a virtual xylophone task, where they played simple xylophone melodies either alone, for a learner watching them, or together with another participant, while their movements were recorded. Participants increased movement amplitude during joint action and during demonstration. However, during joint action, participants modulated specific velocity parameters depending on whether their joint action partner knew or did not know the action sequence to be performed. The results demonstrate that there are specific kinematic cues to communicate the time and location of upcoming actions to a joint action partner but that there are no unique kinematic cues expressing the "pedagogical" intentions of a demonstrator.
AB - When performing joint actions, people modulate instrumental actions to provide additional information for a coactor (Pezzulo, Donnarumma, & Dindo, 2013). Similarly, demonstrators adjust instrumental actions to make them more informative for novice learners (Brand, Baldwin, & Ashburn, 2002). It is unknown whether the kinematic modulations performed to facilitate prediction in joint action coordination and the modulations performed to transmit information about the structure of novel actions are unique, or whether a general type of modulation can take on multiple functions. The present study therefore investigated whether there are unique kinematic markers for demonstration and for different types of joint action. In three experiments participants performed a virtual xylophone task, where they played simple xylophone melodies either alone, for a learner watching them, or together with another participant, while their movements were recorded. Participants increased movement amplitude during joint action and during demonstration. However, during joint action, participants modulated specific velocity parameters depending on whether their joint action partner knew or did not know the action sequence to be performed. The results demonstrate that there are specific kinematic cues to communicate the time and location of upcoming actions to a joint action partner but that there are no unique kinematic cues expressing the "pedagogical" intentions of a demonstrator.
KW - Demonstration
KW - Imitation
KW - Interpersonal coordination
KW - Joint action
KW - Sensorimotor communication
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034433127&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/xhp0000505
DO - 10.1037/xhp0000505
M3 - Article
C2 - 29154627
AN - SCOPUS:85034433127
SN - 0096-1523
VL - 44
SP - 885
EP - 897
JO - Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
JF - Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
IS - 6
ER -