Michotte's research on perceptual impressions of causality: a pre-registered replication studyuse asterix (*) to get italics

Peter A. WhitePlease use the format "First name initials family name" as in "Marie S. Curie, Niels H. D. Bohr, Albert Einstein, John R. R. Tolkien, Donna T. Strickland"

2023

<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michotte (1946/1954/1963) showed that visual impressions of causality can occur in perception of simple animations of moving geometrical objects. In the launching effect, one object is perceived as making another object move by bumping into it. In the entraining effect, the two objects move together after contact and the first moving object is perceived as pushing or carrying the other one. There has been much further research on the launching effect in particular, and citations of Michotte's pioneering work have increased rapidly in recent decades, underlining its importance in contemporary psychology and neuroscience. However, many of the experiments reported Michotte's book, exploring conditions under which launching and entraining do and do not occur, have never been replicated. The methodology, involving mostly a few knowledgeable observers and no statistical analysis, indicates that replication and extension would be desirable, to assess the reliability of the results reported by Michotte and to inspire further research on aspects of these perceptual impressions that have been neglected in more recent research. In this pre-registered replication study, fourteen experiments are planned that replicate and, in some cases, extend experiments reported by Michotte (1946/1954/1963).</p>

Phenomenal causality; Launching effect; Perception of causality; Michotte; Causal impression; Causal cognition

NonePlease indicate the methods that may require specialised expertise during the peer review process (use a comma to separate various required expertises).

Life Sciences, Social sciences

Mario Dalmaso suggested: I am happy with the revised version of this manuscript. , Mario Dalmaso suggested: I realized that my first comment was misleading: I just wanted to say that the introduction could be "split" into shorter sub-paragraphs, to help the reading of a relatively long part (I didn't want to say to "add" new paragraphs/sentences, etc.). I am sorry for this misunderstanding. I am sure. the author could consider this suggestion in a new version of the manuscript. No need for them to be recommenders of PCI Registered Reports. Please do not suggest reviewers for whom there might be a conflict of interest. Reviewers are not allowed to review preprints written by close colleagues (with whom they have published in the last four years, with whom they have received joint funding in the last four years, or with whom they are currently writing a manuscript, or submitting a grant proposal), or by family members, friends, or anyone for whom bias might affect the nature of the review - see the code of conduct

2023-05-03 13:04:00

Moin Syed