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Abstract

Associating sensory action information with the correct action interpretation (semantic action categorization (SAC)) is important for successful joint action, e.g. for the generation of an appropriate complementary response. Vision for perception and vision for action has been suggested to rely on different visual mechanisms (two streams hypothesis). To better understand visual processes supporting joint actions, we compared SAC processes in passive observation and in joint actions. If passive observation and joint action taps into different SAC processes, then adapting SAC processes during passive observation should not affect the generation of complementary action responses. We used an action adaptation paradigm to selectively measure SAC processes in a novel virtual reality set up, which allowed participants to naturally interact with a human looking avatar. Participants visually adapted to an action of an avatar and gave a SAC judgment about a subsequently presented ambiguous action in three different experimental conditions: (1) by pressing a button (passive condition) or by either creating an action response (2) subsequently to (active condition) or (3) simultaneously with (joint action condition) the avatar's action. We found no significant difference between the three conditions suggesting that SAC mechanisms for passive observation and joint action shares similar processes.