Gaze direction is an important stimulus that signals key details about social (dis)engagement and objects in our physical environment. Here, we explore how gaze direction influences the perceiver's processing of bodily information. Specifically, we examined how averted versus direct gaze modifies the operation of effector-centered representations (i.e., specific fingers) versus movement-centered representations (i.e., finger actions). Study 1 used a stimulus-response compatibility paradigm that tested the priming of a relevant effector or relevant movement, after observing videos of direct or averted gaze. We found a selective priming of relevant effectors, but only after averted gaze videos. Study 2 found similar priming effects with symbolic direction cues (averted arrows). Study 3 found that averted gaze cues do not influence generic spatial compatibility effects, and thus, are specific to body representations. In sum, this research suggests that both human and symbolic averted cues selectively prime relevant body-part representations, highlighting the dynamic interplay between our bodies, minds, and environments.

注视方向是一个重要的刺激因素，可以传达有关我们物理环境中社交（脱离接触）和物体的关键细节。在这里，我们探索凝视方向如何影响感知者对身体信息的处理。具体而言，我们研究了避免凝视与直接注视如何修改以效应器为中心的表示（即特定的手指）与以运动为中心的表示（即手指动作）的操作。研究1使用刺激－反应相容性范例，在观察了直接或避免注视的视频后，测试了相关效应器或相关运动的启动。我们发现相关效应子有选择地引发，但仅在避免注视视频之后才发生。研究2发现了具有符号方向提示（平均箭头）的类似启动效果。研究3发现，避免注视的提示不会影响通用的空间兼容性效果，因此特定于身体表示。总而言之，这项研究表明，人类和象征性的暗示都选择性地引发了相关的身体部位表征，突出了我们的身体，思想和环境之间的动态相互作用。