What is biological motion?


Do you know what “biological motion” is? I am considered an expert on biological motion perception but I am not entirely sure myself where to use the term and where not to use it. No question, biological motion is a super interesting thing. But also a very diverse one. People have used the term for a whole bag of goodies, often without even realizing that the same label may not always refer to the same thing. Its meaning seems to have evolved over time, too. In a chapter that just came out in a wonderful new book, I attempt to provide an overview about the broader phenomenology that falls under the term “biological motion”. A link to an early version of my chapter is here.

But you may rather want to get hold of a copy of the book itself. It is entitled “Social Perception” and edited by M. D. Rutherford and V. A. Kuhlmeier. The book provides a comprehensive overview not just about the perception of biological motion (whatever that is), but also about other aspects of social visual perception. A very interesting read that contains contributions from a considerable number of acclaimed experts in the field.