The cognitive mechanisms underlying the processing of socially relevant information embedded in bodily movement and its development

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05310
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Hirai Masahiro 自治医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (60422375)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 発達 / 他者行為 / 学習 / 眼球運動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Our visual system can recognize a variety of socially relevant information from bodily movements, and we utilize this information to lead an efficient social life. However, the developmental aspect of the information processing remains unclear. We explored the developmental process of the perception of others’ movements, socially relevant information embedded in bodily movements, and how the information can affect infants’ learning abilities. In a series of studies, we revealed that (1) preference for human action can change within the first year of life, (2) horizontal hand waving-gestures can induce 4-month-old infants’ preferences, and 9-month-old infants can utilize the information for learning the identity of objects, (3) inefficiency of human action can affect infants’ learning, and (4) neural mechanisms underlying the learning are based on bodily action. We further developed a theoretical model for developmental changes in the perception of others’ action.

Free Research Field

発達認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、顔・視線知覚のような社会的刺激に関する研究に比して遅れている「他者の動き知覚の発達メカニズム」を実験的手法と理論的手法により明らかにした。一連の研究の結果、身体の動きに固有に含まれる顕示的な信号があり、乳児の選好、社会的学習に影響を与えることを見出した。さらに本研究結果を踏まえ、身体の動き知覚の発達に関する認知発達モデルを構築した。本研究は、顔・視線知覚に比して理論整備が遅れている身体の動きの知覚発達について理論整備を進め、当該領域をさらに発展させたと考える。また、本成果は非定型発達児の認知発達を明らかにする上で重要な行動・神経生理学的指標を確立した。