Actual and illusory differences in constant speed influence the perception of animacy similarly

The ability to perceive objects as alive is the first step in social cognition. When the status of an object is ambiguous--if far away or fast moving--animacy is best perceived using motion cues. Previous studies have revealed that acceleration is a robust cue to animacy. The current study tests the prediction that, in the absence of acceleration, an object traveling at a relatively faster constant speed is more likely to be perceived as …