What Is Biological Motion? Definition, Stimuli, and Paradigms

Abstract The study of biological motion perception was introduced into vision research some forty years ago by Swedish psychologist Gunnar Johansson. Since that time, questions and approaches surrounding this topic have changed considerably. While early work on biological motion perception was primarily concerned with the mechanisms of perceptual organization the more recent research emphasizes the social significance of human and animal motion. In tracing the evolution of the term "biological motion" and its use, this chapter attempts to characterize and classify the various questions and experimental paradigms that have dominated research on biological motion perception over the last few decades.