It’s the Way You Walk: Kinematic Specification of Vulnerability to Attack

Johnston, L. (2012) It’s the Way You Walk: Kinematic Specification of Vulnerability to Attack. In: Johnson, K. and Shiffrar, M., (eds.) People Watching: Social, Perceptual, and Neurophysiological Studies of Body Perception. Oxford Scholarship, pp. 220-233.

Abstract

This chapter considers whether human gait conveys information to observers about one’s vulnerability to attack. Specifically, it describes a program of research in which the “kinematic fingerprint” of physical vulnerability is assessed. Observers of point-light-defined body motions form impressions of physical vulnerability that achieve a high level of consensus. Additionally, the authors examine factors that contribute to these perceptions (e.g., manner of dress) and that can mitigate these perceptions (e.g., changing gait).

Item Type:	Book Chapter
Publisher:	Oxford Scholarship
Copyright:	© 2012 Oxford University Press
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/59302

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