Functional approach to the integration of kinematic and dynamic variables in causal perception: Is there a link between phenomenology and behavioral responses?1

Abstract

Abstract: The study of perceptual causality has seen a resurgence of interest ever since continuous behavioral measures, and not just perceptual reports, were proposed. As one such measure, representational momentum (RM) was recently applied by Hubbard (Hubbard, Blessum, & Ruppel, 2001; Hubbard & Ruppel, 2002) to Michotte's launching paradigm (Michotte, 1954). Among the several open issues regarding this use of RM stand the following three: (a) how the joint actions of dynamic and kinematic variables are integrated in RM; (b) the effect of specific response modalities; and (c) how RM relates to causal phenomenology. In the present experiment, launcher‐target velocities and launcher's size (implied mass) were fully crossed in three integration tasks, requiring target localization responses with a mouse cursor or a pointer (Mouse and Pointer Tasks) and numerical estimates of how far the target would travel as a result of the collision (Numerical Ratings Task). An additive integration rule for size and velocity was found across all experiments and derived functional scales of size (but not of velocity) exhibited a linear relation between phenomenological ratings and both sorts of localization responses.