Body movement implied by static images modulates eye movements and subjective time estimation

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the influence of body movement implied by artwork on time estimation and its relationship with eye movement. In Experiment 1, the participants were presented with static photographic images of Edgar Degas sculptures that implied different movements. The participants were asked to estimate their exposure times. Overestimation was found for the dancer who represented the greater movement. Eye movements were more directed to legs and arms in the ballerina that implied more movement, indicating more dynamic eye movements for this dancer, which was also overestimated. Experiment 2 further investigated whether this effect was specific to body representation or whether it was linked to the perceptual feature of the images. The participants were presented with drawings that mimicked global shapes (lines) of the Degas sculptures. Differences in time estimation were not obtained under this experimental condition. The results suggest an embodied perception of body movement that modulates eye movements and time estimation...