magazine issue 4 2014 / Issue 20

Seeing mountains in molehills: Embodied visual perception of the environment

• written by Shana Cole & Emily Balcetis
• edited by Simone Schnall

Disembodied visual perception

One open research question is whether visual perception is ever disembodied. Are there situations in which people’s perceptual experiences do not depend on the states of their bodies? Although this question is still an open one, some recent research suggests shifting people’s mindsets might influence the extent to which they rely on bodily states when making perceptual judgments (Maglio & Trope, 2012). Embodied perception studies have found that people perceive distances to be greater when they are wearing heavy backpacks (see Proffitt, 2006). However, this effect appears to go away when people adopt a more abstract, compared to concrete, mindset (Maglio & Trope, 2012). This research suggests visual perception can be divorced from states of the body in certain circumstances. Much like the researchers who have recently called for further exploration into the true nature of embodied cognition (Wilson & Golonka, 2013), we suggest the future of embodied visual perception should include test cases under which visual perception may not be influenced by the body or the mind. In addition, exploring whether other sensory modalities, such as hearing or smelling, are influenced by physical or mental states is a fruitful avenue for further research.

Conclusion

In a recent interview, marathon runner Nathan Walkowicz described one strategy he uses during training: He thinks about the entire run as if he’s just running the distance around his neighborhood block at home (Bayoff, 2013). He pictures first running to his mailbox, then running to the stop sign at the corner, and so on. By shifting his experience so that every checkpoint seems within reach, he tricks himself into believing that the finish line is close which helps him continue on. In much the same way, visual perceptions of the environment may be distorted to enable us to effectively meet and manage goals. As recent and ongoing work suggests, visual perception is sensitive to current and chronic physical and psychological states in the service of regulating action.

References

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