Movements, actions and tool-use actions: an ideomotor approach to imitation

Abstract

In this article we discuss both merits and limitations of the ideomotor approach to action control and action imitation. In the first part, we give a brief outline of ideomotor theory and its functional implications for imitation and related kinds of behaviours. In the subsequent sections, we summarize pertinent experimental studies on action imitation and action induction. These studies show that action perception modulates action planning in a number of ways, of which imitation is but one. In the last part, we move from regular actions to tool-use actions, raising the issue of whether and how watching others' tool-use actions leads to corresponding behaviours in observers. Here, we discuss experiments aimed at dissociating the relative roles of environmental targets, bodily movements and target-to-movement-mappings (action rules) in the observation of tool-use actions. Our findings indicate a strong role for action rules in the observation and imitation of tool-use actions. We argue that, in order to account for these findings, ideomotor theory needs to be extended to take mappings between bodily movements and environmental effects into account.

Figure 1.

Lever device used in the experiments on the observation of tool-use actions. If the left pivotal point is active (as depicted in the figure), the handle of the lever has to be moved away from the body to touch the far target point and towards the body to touch the near target point. If the right pivotal point is active, the handle of the lever has to be moved towards the body to touch the far target point and away from the body to touch the near target point.

Figure 2.

Error rates (%) as a function of group (same-mapping observers versus different-mapping observers) and condition (same target and movement observed; different target and movement observed; different target and same movement observed; different movement and same target observed). Error bars represent standard errors. SM, same mapping; DM, different mapping.

Figure 3.

Reaction times (RT; ms) as a function of group (same-mapping observers versus different-mapping observers) and condition (same target and movement observed; different target and movement observed; different target and same movement observed; different movement and same target observed). Error bars represent standard errors. SM, same mapping; DM, different mapping.