Summary
Research Topic
A primary goal of the article Errors in the Making and Perception of Art Images of Human Gait: Psychological Explanations by Meltzoff is to determine the psychological cause of wrong human portrayal in the drawing and paintings (Meltzoff, 2014). A research topic is the development of the occurrence of this error. It has a strong connection with art, as it discusses the portrayal of gait in the pictures.
Literature Review
The literature review consists of precise and convincing materials, which are related to the historical background of gait and its origin. For example, moving poses of the figures on the ancient vases were discussed (Meltzoff, 2014).
Design/Methodology
Three empirical studies were used. The primary goal of the first survey was to measure the awareness of the error and ability to recognize it, 30 participants partook (Meltzoff, 2014).
As for the second study, the sample is 43 adults, the green traffic signal was shown, and the participants had to distinguish between right and left legs (Meltzoff, 2014). Lastly, the stop pose was evaluated for the third study. 301 pictures were assessed (Meltzoff, 2014). Conducting several experiments made the article convincing, the existence of the problem was determined.
Results
The first study revealed that many participants make a mistake. The second study showed that there are no significant differences between the answers of people of different sex and educational level (Meltzoff, 2014). The third study revealed that 208 participants made a mistake while posing (Meltzoff, 2014). The further literature review revealed that the possible reasons for this phenomenon are intentional usage by the artists, dynamics, and “aesthetic choice” (Meltzoff, 2014, p. 327). The author also defines psychological factors, such as “difficulty making the implicit explicit” ((Meltzoff, 2014, p. 327).
Discussion
The study addresses if it makes any difference for an individual. People enjoy the painting despite the error (Meltzoff, 2014). The author suggests including this topic in the curriculum (Meltzoff, 2014). The discussion section is rather ambiguous, as the author criticizes his points.
Recommendations for Future Research
Recommendations were combined with discussions and conclusions. The author suggests using the wooden doll in the future (Meltzoff, 2014). His suggestions are allowed to exist, as the results have shown that there might be a necessity in the wooden doll.
Personal Reflection
One of the primary reasons for finding this article important is my curiosity, as the goal of the article is unusual. Moreover, I did not pay attention to the matter of gait, and I did not know that this phenomenon occurs. The article broadens the horizons of the art and occurrence of possible misconceptions.
The research can be applied in my teaching, as this phenomenon often occurs in art. It will help avoid it and try not to make mistakes regarding it. Furthermore, it will contribute to broadening the perceptions of other people regarding human portrayal.
The article changed my views, as not I evaluate the picture more precisely to get a clear understanding of the movement. Moreover, this article taught me that small details play a significant role, and their origin can always be explained. Furthermore, I understand the complexity of the research and the requirement of conducting a series of experiments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the gait phenomenon is necessary. It is not essential, as it is additional information to understand that possible mistakes, which might occur due to the movement portrayal. The readers, who are interested in art or artists, can benefit from this work, as it will help them avoid mistakes in the future. As for the work’s merit, it brings the light to the long-lasting error. Moreover, it contributes to understanding its origin. The historical background was displayed, but there was no necessity for this precise description. Lastly, the results only from one study can be evaluated.
Reference
Meltzoff, J. (2014). Errors in the Making and Perception of Art Images of Human Gait: Psychological Explanations. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8(3), 321-329.