Move'N'Brains Lab
Staff
- Cavallo Andrea (Coordinator)
- Becchio Cristina (Member)
- Manuello Jordi
- Maronati Camilla (PhD student)
- Cuturi Luigi Felice (Member)
- Guidotti Riccardo (Student)
Contacts
ERC Sectors
Activity
Research topics
Reading intentions from movement
How do we understand the intentions of other people? Is it possible to understand the intentions of others by simply observing their movements? A widely held, but untested assumption is that the surface flow of motion people produce is in most, if not in all, cases consistent with a multitude of different intentions.
Contrary to this assumption, our work provides evidence that movement kinematics convey enough information to discriminate intention. We are now using quantitative behavioural and neuroimaging methods to investigate the usefulness of this information for perception, i.e., whether (and to what extent) this information can form the basis for intention detection during action observation.
Motor resonance
When we observe actions performed by others, our motor sistem 'resonates' with that of the agent who is actually moving. A prevalent assumpion in the literature is that this resonance would reflect an automatic process, driven by stimuli in the environment. Empirical evidence is however, very limited. Does the motor resonance depends on the social relevance of the observed action? To what extent can experience and motor training modulate the motor resonance? Can the relationship between the observer and the agent modulate the motor resonance?
The motor signature of autism
In addition to commonly known symptoms, recent researches have reported that individuals with Autism Specturm Disorder (ASD) also exhibit difficulties with both gross and fine motor control observable from birth and evident throughout life. These studies emphasize the link between ‘motor control’ and ‘perception’; they suggest that movement differences between typical and atypical individuals are likely to contribute to the difficulties that individuals with ASD encounter in social interaction. However, due to the clinical nature of the assessment and to the high variability of motor anomalies the precise nature of motor deficits and their implication in the social domain remains largely unknown. The main aims of this line of research, therefore, are: i) to determine the extent to which movements performed by children with ASD deviate from motion regularities; ii) to test whether the information resulting from kinematic features can identify children with ASD with respect to typical developing children and children with DCD; iii) if there is a meaningful relationship between the degree of deviation from motion regularities, the severity of autism symptoms and the difficulties in social interaction.
Scientific collaborations:
- Umberto Castiello (Università di Padova)
- Barbara Tversky (Stanford University, USA)
- Luca Casartelli (IRRCS Medea, Bosisio Parini, IT)
- Caroline Catmur (Kings College, UK)
- Luca Romeo (Università Politecnica delle Marche, IT)
- Massimiliano Pontil (University College London, UK, and Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, IT)
Funding
- Find.Aut: finding the motor signature of Autism. Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo (CSTO167915). Anni 2017 - 2019. PI: Andrea Cavallo
- Intention-from-movement understanding: from moving bodies to interacting minds. European Research Council (ERC-St- 2012). Anni 2013 - 2018. PI: Cristina Becchio
- The Invisible Grammar of Social Relations. Regione Piemonte. Anni 2010 - 2012, PI: Cristina Becchio
Publications
Quarona D , Koul A , Ansuini C , Pascolini L , Cavallo A , Becchio C (2020)
A kind of magic: Enhanced detection of pantomimed grasps in professional magicians.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1763561
Patri J -F , Cavallo A , Pullar K , Soriano M , Valente M , Koul A , Avenanti A , Panzeri S , Becchio C (2020)
Transient Disruption of the Inferior Parietal Lobule Impairs the Ability to Attribute Intention to Action.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1766130
Zunino A , Cavazza J , Volpi R , Morerio P , Cavallo A , Becchio C , Murino V (2020)
Predicting Intentions from Motion: The Subject-Adversarial Adaptation Approach.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1766128
Matilde Rocca, Andrea Cavallo (2020)
Wired actions: Anticipatory kinematic interference during a dyadic sequential motor interaction task.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1766132
Koul, Atesh, Soriano, Marco, Tversky, Barbara, Becchio, Cristina, Cavallo, Andrea (2019)
The kinematics that you do not expect: Integrating prior information and kinematics to understand intentions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1689877
Podda J , Ansuini C , Battaglia F M , Cavallo A , Pintaudi M , Jacono M , Semino M , Dufour E , Veneselli E , Becchio C (2018)
Studio di cinematica sull'effetto di comfort dello stato finale: Il caso del Disturbo dello Spettro Autistico.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1678276
Becchio, Cristina, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Bertone, Cesare, Cavallo, Andrea (2018)
Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653327
Atesh Koul, Cristina Becchio, Andrea Cavallo (2018)
Cross-validation approaches for replicability in psychology.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1678275
Atesh Koul, Cristina Becchio, Andrea Cavallo (2018)
PredPsych: A toolbox for predictive machine learning-based approach in experimental psychology research.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1678256
Rocca, Matilde, Cavallo, Andrea (2018)
What's shared in movement kinematics: Investigating co-representation of actions through movement.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1689873
Koul, Atesh, Cavallo, Andrea, Cauda, Franco, Costa, Tommaso, Diano, Matteo, Pontil, Massimiliano, Becchio, Cristina (2018)
Action Observation Areas Represent Intentions From Subtle Kinematic Features.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1689868
Soriano, Marco, Cavallo, Andrea, D', Ausilio, Alessandro, Becchio, Cristina, Fadiga, Luciano (2018)
Movement kinematics drive chain selection toward intention detection.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1689879
Andrea Cavallo, Luca Romeo, Caterina Ansuini, Jessica Podda, Francesca Battaglia, Edvige Veneselli, Massimiliano Pontil, Cristina Becchio (2018)
Prospective motor control obeys to idiosyncratic strategies in autism.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1678255
Becchio, Cristina, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Bertone, Cesare, Cavallo, Andrea (2018)
The observability principle and beyond: Reply to comments on “Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds” by Cristina Becchio et al.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1689880
Cavallo, Andrea, Ansuini, Caterina, Gori, Monica, Tinti, Carla, Tonelli, Alessia, Becchio, Cristina (2017)
Anticipatory action planning in blind and sighted individuals.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1630623
Cavallo, Andrea, Ansuini, Caterina, Capozzi, Francesca, Tversky, Barbara, Becchio, Cristina (2017)
When Far Becomes Near: Perspective Taking Induces Social Remapping of Spatial Relations.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1633010
Becchio, Cristina, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Bertone, Cesare, Cavallo, Andrea (2017)
Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653327
Begliomini, Chiara, Cavallo, Andrea, Manera, Valeria, Becchio, Cristina, Stramare, Roberto, Miotto, Diego, Castiello, Umberto (2017)
Potential for social involvement modulates activity within the mirror and the mentalizing systems.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653298
Podda, Jessica, Ansuini, Caterina, Vastano, Roberta, Cavallo, Andrea, Becchio, Cristina (2017)
The heaviness of invisible objects: Predictive weight judgments from observed real and pantomimed grasps.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653324
Cavallo, Andrea, Ansuini, Caterina, Capozzi, Francesca, Tversky, Barbara, Becchio, Cristina (2017)
When Far Becomes Near: Perspective Taking Induces Social Remapping of Spatial Relations.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1633010
Becchio, Cristina, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Bertone, Cesare, Cavallo, Andrea (2017)
Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653327
Begliomini, Chiara, Cavallo, Andrea, Manera, Valeria, Becchio, Cristina, Stramare, Roberto, Miotto, Diego, Castiello, Umberto (2017)
Potential for social involvement modulates activity within the mirror and the mentalizing systems.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653298
Podda, Jessica, Ansuini, Caterina, Vastano, Roberta, Cavallo, Andrea, Becchio, Cristina (2017)
The heaviness of invisible objects: Predictive weight judgments from observed real and pantomimed grasps.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1653324
Giulia Bucchioni1, 2*, Fossataro, Carlotta, Cavallo, Andrea, Mouras, Harold, Marco Neppi- Modona,, Garbarini, Francesca (2016)
Empathy or Ownership? Evidence from corticospinal modulation during pain observation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1566586
Cavallo, Andrea, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Capozzi, Francesca, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Decoding intentions from movement kinematics.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1615723
Koul, Atesh, Cavallo, Andrea, Ansuini, Caterina, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Doing it your way: How individual movement styles affect action prediction.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1612252
Ansuini, Caterina, Cavallo, Andrea, Campus, Claudio, Quarona, Davide, Koul, Atesh, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Are we real when we fake? Attunement to object weight in natural and pantomimed grasping movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1630451
Ansuini, Caterina, Cavallo, Andrea, Koul, Atesh, D', Ausilio, Alessandro, Taverna, Laura, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Grasping Others' Movements: Rapid Discrimination of Object Size From Observed Hand Movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1560080
Ansuini, C, Cavallo, A, Pia, L, Becchio, C (2016)
The Role of Perspective in Mental Time Travel.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1537870
Giulia Bucchioni, Fossataro, Carlotta, Cavallo, Andrea, Mouras, Harold, Marco Neppi-Modona, Garbarini Francesca (2016)
Empathy or Ownership? Evidence from corticospinal modulation during pain observation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1566586
Cavallo, Andrea, Koul, Atesh, Ansuini, Caterina, Capozzi, Francesca, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Decoding intentions from movement kinematics.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1615723
Koul, Atesh, Cavallo, Andrea, Ansuini, Caterina, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Doing it your way: How individual movement styles affect action prediction.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1612252
Ansuini, Caterina, Cavallo, Andrea, Campus, Claudio, Quarona, Davide, Koul, Atesh, Becchio, Cristina (2016)
Are we real when we fake? Attunement to object weight in natural and pantomimed grasping movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1630451
Cavallo, Andrea, Lungu, Ovidiu, Becchio, Cristina, Ansuini, Caterina, Rustichini, Aldo, Fadiga, Luciano (2015)
When gaze opens the channel for communication: Integrative role of IFG and MPFC.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1558650
Cavallo, A , Ansuini, C , Becchio, C (2015)
The (un)coupling between action execution and observation: comment on "Grasping synergies: a motor-control approach to the mirror neuron mechanism" by D'Ausilio, Bartoli and Maffongelli.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1508398
Garbarini F, Bucchioni G, Fossataro C, Bruno V, Cavallo A, Pia L, Neppi-Modona M (2015)
Empathy or Ownership? Evidence of corticopinal modulation during pain observation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1509256
C Ansuini, A Cavallo, C Bertone, C Becchio (2015)
Intentions in the Brain: The Unveiling of Mister Hyde.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1504721
Ansuini, Caterina, Cavallo, Andrea, Koul, Atesh, Jacono, Marco, Yang, Yuan, Becchio, Cristina (2015)
Predicting object size from hand kinematics: A temporal perspective.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1558842
A Cavallo, C Heyes, C Becchio, G Bird, C Catmur (2014)
Timecourse of mirror and counter-mirror effects measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/148286
Andrea Cavallo, Caroline Catmur, Sophie Sowden, Francesco Ianì, Cristina Becchio (2014)
Stopping movements: when others slow us down.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/148290
Cristina Becchio, Debora Zanatto, Elisa Straulino, Andrea Cavallo, Giuseppe Sartori, Umberto Castiello (2014)
The kinematic signature of voluntary actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/154679
Francesca Capozzi, Andrea Cavallo, Tiziano Furlanetto, Cristina Becchio (2014)
Altercentric Intrusions from Multiple Perspectives: Beyond Dyads.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/154578
Caterina, Ansuini, Cavallo, Andrea, Cesare, Bertone, Becchio, Cristina (2014)
The visible face of intention: why kinematics matters.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/148287
Andrea Cavallo, Giulia Bucchioni, Umberto Castiello, Cristina Becchio (2013)
Goal or movement? Action representation within the primary motor cortex.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/143461
Giulia Bucchioni, Andrea Cavallo, Davide Ippolito, Gianluca Marton, Umberto Castiello (2013)
Corticospinal excitability during the observation of social behavior.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133209
Tiziano Furlanetto, Andrea Cavallo, Valeria Manera, Barbara Tversky, Cristina Becchio (2013)
Through your eyes: incongruence of gaze and action increases spontaneous perspective taking.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/143462
Cavallo A, Becchio C, Sartori L, Bucchioni G, Castiello U (2012)
Grasping with Tools: Corticospinal Excitability Reflects Observed Hand Movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/124796
Sartori L, Cavallo A, Bucchioni G, Castiello U (2012)
From simulation to reciprocity: the case of complementary actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133616
Pira E, Becchio C, Cavallo A, Valentini C, Gullino A, Ferrario A, Ciocan C, Bonifaci G (2012)
A pilot study on the use of FMR for the evaluation of suspected cases of occupational stress-related disease.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/117781
Manera V , Cavallo A , Chiavarino C , Schouten B , Verfaillie K , Becchio C (2012)
Are you approaching me? Motor execution influences perceived action orientation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/103159
Becchio C , Manera V , Sartori L , Cavallo A , Castiello U (2012)
Grasping intentions: from thought experiments to empirical evidence.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/102638
Becchio C , Cavallo A , Begliomini C , Sartori L , Feltrin G , Castiello U (2012)
Social grasping: from mirroring to metalizing.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/107017
Sartori L, Cavallo A, Bucchioni G, Castiello U (2011)
Corticospinal excitability is specifically modulated by the socialdimension of observed actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133159
CAVALLO A , BEGLIOMINI , BECCHIO C , SARTORI L , CASTIELLO U (2011)
Inferring intentions from kinematics.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133700
Cavallo A, Sartori L, Castiello U (2011)
Corticospinal excitability modulation to hand muscles during the observation of appropriate versus inappropriate actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/89176
Manera V, Becchio C, Cavallo A, Sartori L, Castiello U (2011)
Cooperation or competition? Discriminating between social intentions by observing prehensile movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/130921
CAVALLO A , BEGLIOMINI , BECCHIO C , SARTORI L , CASTIELLO U (2011)
Inferring intentions from kinematics.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133700
BECCHIO C , CASTIELLO U (2011)
Grasping social intentions from movement: from thought experiments to empirical evidence.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/131716
BECCHIO C (2011)
From social intention to action: kinematic evidence of social planning and control.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/91008
Manera V, Del Giudice M, Bara BG, Verfaillie K, Becchio C (2011)
The second-agent effect: Communicative gestures increase the likelihood of perceiving a second agent.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/93322
Manera V, Becchio C, Cavallo A, Sartori L, Castiello U (2011)
Cooperation or competition? Discriminating between social intentions by observing prehensile movements.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/130921
Manera V, Del Giudice M, Schouten B, Verfaillie K, Bara BG, Becchio C (2011)
Interpersonal predictive coding: Communicative gestures increase the likelihood of perceiving a second agent.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/131205
BECCHIO C , SKEWES J , LUND T E , FRITH U , FRITH C D , ROEPSTORFF A (2011)
How the brain responds to the destruction of money.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/131042
Valeria Manera, Cristina Becchio, Ben Schouten, Bruno G Bara, Karl Verfaillie (2011)
Communicative interactions improve visual detection of biological motion.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/132067
SARTORI L , BECCHIO C , CASTIELLO U (2011)
Cues to intention: the role of movement information.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133812
Cavallo A , Castiello U (2010)
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation to Hand Muscles During the Observation of Different Actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133998
BECCHIO C , MARI M , CASTIELLO U (2010)
Perception of Shadows in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133569
Valeria Manera, Ben Schouten, Cristina Becchio, Bruno G Bara, Karl Verfaillie (2010)
Inferring intentions from biological motion: A stimulus set of point-light communicative interactions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/99113
BECCHIO C , SARTORI L , CASTIELLO U (2010)
Toward you: the social side of actions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/68983
CASTIELLO U , BECCHIO C , ZOIA S , NELINI C , SARTORI L , BLASON L , D?OTTAVIO G , BULGHERONI M , GALLESE V (2010)
Wired to Be Social: The Ontogeny of Human Interaction.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/130839
Manera V, Becchio C, Del Giudice M, Schouten B, Verfaillie K, Bara B G (2009)
Inferring communicative intention from motor information: A point-light study.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/76983
BECCHIO C , CASTIELLO U (2009)
Motor Intentions in Another Person?s Eyes.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/131669
SARTORI L , BECCHIO C , BULGHERONI M , CASTIELLO U (2009)
Modulation of the action control system by social intention: unexpected social requests override preplanned action.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/99733
SARTORI L , BECCHIO C , BARA B G , CASTIELLO U (2009)
Does the intention to communicate affect action kinematics?
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/131799
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C , CASTIELLO U (2009)
Lo sguardo di Medusa. Come lo sguardo dell?altro modifica il processamento dell?oggetto.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/47656
BECCHIO C , SARTORI L , BULGHERONI M , CASTIELLO U (2008)
Both your intention and mine are reflected in the kinematics of my reach-to-grasp movement.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133630
BECCHIO C , SARTORI L , BULGHERONI M , CASTIELLO U (2008)
The case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: a kinematic study on social intention.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/132997
SARTORI L , BECCHIO C , BULGHERONI M , CASTIELLO U (2008)
Effects of social intention on the control of action.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/132635
PIERNO A C , BECCHIO C , TURELLA L , TUBALDI F , CASTIELLO U (2008)
Motor ontology in representing gaze-object relations.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133570
Grandi E, Becchio C, Del Giudice M, Colle L (2008)
Two theoretical models of pretend play: an empirical study in autism.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/76294
PIERNO A C , BECCHIO C , TURELLA L , TUBALDI F , CASTIELLO U (2008)
Observing social interactions: The effect of gaze.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133263
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C , CASTIELLO U (2008)
How the gaze of others influences object processing.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/27274
COLLE L , BECCHIO C , BARA B G (2008)
The non-problem of other minds: a neuro-developmental perspective on shared intentionality.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/133699
BECCHIO C , PIERNO A C , MARI M , LUSHER D , CASTIELLO U (2007)
Motor contagion from eye gaze. The case of autism.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1801
GEORGIOU I , BECCHIO C , GLOVER S , CASTIELLO U (2007)
Different action patterns for cooperative and competitive behaviour.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2027
BECCHIO C , ADENZATO M , BARA B G (2006)
How the brain understands intentions. Different neural circuits identify the componential features of motor and prior intentions.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/21960
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2006)
Time and neglect: Abnormal temporal dynamics in unilateral spatial neglect.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2028
Colle L, Grandi E, Becchio C (2006)
Intentional action understanding and sharing intentionality in children with Autism.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/77006
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2006)
Prior intentions: evidence in favour of a motor theory.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/1803
PIERNO A C , BECCHIO C , WALL M B , SMITH A T , TURELLA L , CASTIELLO U (2006)
When Gaze Turns into Grasp.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/68929
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2006)
Un?ontologia dimezzata: alterazioni temporali nella negligenza spaziale unilaterale.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2032
PIERNO A C , BECCHIO C , WALL M B , SMITH A T, TURELLA L , CASTIELLO U (2006)
When Gaze Turns into Grasp.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/98858
PIERNO A C , BECCHIO C , WALL M B , SMITH A T , CASTIELLO U (2006)
Transfer of interfered motor patterns to self from others.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2026
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2005)
Il paradosso dell?intenzionalità collettiva.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2031
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2005)
Beyond Cartesian Subjectivism: Neural Correlates of Shared Intentionality.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2024
ADENZATO M, BECCHIO C, BERTONE C, TUOMELA R (2005)
Neural correlates underlying action-intention and aim-intention.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/17791
C BECCHIO, C BERTONE (2005)
The ontology of neglect. Consciousness and Cognition.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2025
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2004)
Wittgenstein running: Neural mechanisms of collective intentionality and we-mode.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2023
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2003)
Object temporal connotation.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2022
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2003)
L'intenzionalità collettiva: lo stato dell'arte.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2030
C BECCHIO, BERTONE C (2003)
Neural bases of We-ness.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/16873
BECCHIO C , BERTONE C (2002)
Il problema della condivisione.
https://iris.unito.it/handle/2318/2029