Action-specific effects in perception and their potential applications

•Spatial perception is influenced by a person's ability to act.•Action affects perception, rather than post-perceptual processes.•Implications, such as for safety and rehabilitation, are discussed.

Spatial perception is biased by action. Hills appear steeper and distances appear farther to individuals who would have to exert more effort to traverse the space. Objects appear closer, smaller, and faster when they are easier to obtain. Athletes who are playing better than others see their targets as bigger. These phenomena are collectively known as action-specific effects on perception. In this target article, we review evidence for action-specific effects, including evidence that they reflect genuine differences in perception, and speculate on possible applications of action's influence on vision.