The modulation of causal contexts in motion processes judgment as revealed by P2 and P3

- We examine the perception of object interactions with different causal contexts via ERP.
- The N1, P2 and P3 were sensitive to the spatial gap and movement direction between objects.
- Frontal negativity in plausible condition was larger than implausible condition in a square context.
- N1 and P3 in plausible condition was larger than implausible condition in the magnet context.
- Causal context has a strong effect on the perception of object interactions.

The evoked response potential (ERP) procedure was used to investigate the representation of motion processes in different causal contexts, such as the collision of two squares or the repulsion of two magnets with like poles facing. Participants were required to judge whether each movement was plausible according to the causal context depicted by the cover story. Three main differences after the movement of the second object were found. First, the amplitudes at 70-170 ms (N1) and 170-370 ms (P2) elicited by a no-contact condition were more negative than a contact condition in the square context, whereas larger N1 and more positive amplitudes at 370-670 ms were elicited by a no-contact condition in the magnet context. Second, larger P2 and more positive amplitudes at 370-670 ms were elicited by inconsistent direction relative to consistent condition in the square context, whereas smaller N1 and more positive amplitudes at 370-670 ms were elicited by inconsistent direction in the magnet context. Finally, larger P2 and more negative amplitudes at 370-470 ms were elicited by plausible conditions relative to implausible conditions in a square context, whereas larger N1 and more positive amplitudes at 370-670 ms were elicited by plausible conditions in the magnet context. These results suggested that the conceptual knowledge with different causal contexts have distinct effects on the judgment of objects interactions.