Action representation across ages and cultures: Recognition of action means–end change in German and Chinese children and adults

Abstract

Actions can be represented as a hierarchy of goals and means, whereas the granularity of the top level depends on the action's complexity. So far, most evidence comes from imitation studies. We explored this issue by evaluating the detection of means and end changes in a recognition paradigm across ages and cultures. German and Chinese preschoolers (n = 53) and adults (n = 58) studied videos of tool-use actions differing in complexity and familiarity. In the test phase, participants judged identical, means-changed and end-changed actions as same or different. Changes of the actions' end were generally identified more accurately independent of age and culture. Means' changes, but not ends' changes, were detected more frequently for complex than for simple actions. Changes in familiar actions were recognised better than changes in unfamiliar actions. The data supports a hierarchical model of action representation where the end information is superordinate to means information.

Keywords:

• Action complexity
• Action familiarity
• Action representation
• Means–end change detection Preschool children

The authors would like to thank Christiane Knorr and Desiree Gard for their assistance with the video-making and data collection, the preschoolers, kindergartens and adults who participated as well as the reviewers for their helpful comments.

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31200783] and the Scientific Foundation of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Y1CX292005] to Lamei Wang; the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to Gisa Aschersleben and Hubert Zimmer in the context of the International Research Training Group 1457 ‘Adaptive Minds’; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [61075042], 973 Program [2011CB302201] and Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSZD-EW-Z-008] to Xiaolan Fu.

The authors would like to thank Christiane Knorr and Desiree Gard for their assistance with the video-making and data collection, the preschoolers, kindergartens and adults who participated as well as the reviewers for their helpful comments.

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [31200783] and the Scientific Foundation of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences [Y1CX292005] to Lamei Wang; the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to Gisa Aschersleben and Hubert Zimmer in the context of the International Research Training Group 1457 ‘Adaptive Minds’; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [61075042], 973 Program [2011CB302201] and Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSZD-EW-Z-008] to Xiaolan Fu.