Spatio-temporal effects on the perception of causality

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The human visual system is highly attuned to dynamics, with causality being a fundamental concept for understanding our environment. Events are perceived as a coherent sequence, each caused by preceding ones. Albert Michotte's work demonstrated that humans can perceive causality as a low-level perceptual event, leading to the impression of intentional relationships. Contrary to traditional beliefs, people are sensitive to both physical and social causality, especially when they possess relevant knowledge of causal structures in motion events. This research examines how physical factors influence the 'action radius,' determining when the motion of a second object is perceived as caused by the first. Key factors analyzed include the speed of the passive object, the timing of collisions, and negative delays, where the departure of Object B occurs before the motion of Object A ends. The findings indicate that perceived causality is influenced not only by automatic processing but also involves a strategic perception-action heuristic, demonstrating a high sensitivity to the temporal structure of external events.