| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Our visual system can recognize a variety of socially relevant information from point-light bodily movements known as biological motion (BM). However, the theoretical background remains unclear. In the first study of this project, we proposed a two-process model of the developmental mechanisms underlying BM processing. In the first system, the ‘Step Detector,’ we hypothesize that the system rapidly processes the local foot motion and feet-below-the-body information specific to vertebrates. Moreover, the system is less dependent on postnatal learning and involves subcortical networks. In the second system, the ‘Bodily Action Evaluator,’ slowly processes the fine global structure-from-motion, is specific to conspecific. Moreover, the system is dependent on the gradual learning process in cortical networks. In the second study of this project, we explored neural mechanisms underlying the processing of ostensive gestures by measuring EEGs from nine-month-old infants.
|
