Fading boundaries between the physical and the social world: Insights and novel techniques from the intersection of these two fields

Abstract

This review focuses on the subtle interactions between sensory input and social cognition in visual perception. We suggest that body indices, such as gait and posture, can mediate such interactions. Recent trends in cognitive research are trying to overcome approaches that define perception as stimulus-centered and are pointing toward a more embodied agent-dependent perspective. According to this view, perception is a constructive process in which sensory inputs and motivational systems contribute to building an image of the external world. A key notion emerging from new theories on perception is that the body plays a critical role in shaping our perception. Depending on our arm’s length, height and capacity of movement, we create our own image of the world based on a continuous compromise between sensory inputs and expected behavior. We use our bodies as natural “rulers” to measure both the physical and the social world around us. We point out the necessity of an integrative approach in cognitive research that takes into account the interplay between social and perceptual dimensions. To this end, we review long-established and novel techniques aimed at measuring bodily states and movements, and their perception, with the assumption that only by combining the study of visual perception and social cognition can we deepen our understanding of both fields.

The social categorization of sexual abuse

“…This perception aligns with a tendency to attribute more blame to teenage victims as compared to younger ones, i.e., to those below the age of ten (Study II). Studies indicate that 27 Perception in a traditional sense refers to an interactive cognitive process, relying on both the stimulus from the environment and the individual's interpretative framework based on their prior knowledge and experiences, impacting how people make sense of their surrounding environment (Dapor et al, 2023). This involves recognizing and making sense of sensory inputs, such as visuals, sounds, tastes, and smells (ibid.).…”