FROM STILL IMAGES TO VIDEO: WHAT ASPECTS of the medium matter for the message?

Almost all of the studies used still images consisting of static representations of body postures. It may be the case that the more recent use of video clips forces a major overhaul of our model, or at least imposes some changes in important aspects of it. For example, the notion that video clips provide more salient information may challenge the relative weight attributed to conscious and nonconscious processes and the brain structures involved in them. On the other hand, it is very difficult to conduct experiments with video clips and use any of the classical paradigms that are very much needed for investigating nonconscious perception. But of course, these practical difficulties do not allow one to conclude that there is no nonconscious perception with dynamic images! There may also be selective changes to our current model that affect a subset of structures. Video images convey information in two dimensions: dynamic movements and an affective meaning. For example, with video clips the aspects related to action perception may emerge more clearly, to the point of dominating the picture. In turn, video clips of bodily actions may specifically trigger more AMG activation for some emotions and not for others. The latter effect may obtain either because movement is a better “carrier” of aggressive information or because aggression and movement are intimately linked.