Human causal perception in a cube-stacking task

TL;DR

This study investigates how humans perceive the stability of two cubes stacked in 3D, revealing more complex decision patterns than the simpler 1D models suggest, with implications for understanding intuitive physics.

Contribution

It introduces a 3D experimental setup for cube-stacking stability perception and uncovers complex, rotated square decision patterns, advancing understanding of human intuitive physics.

Findings

Perceived stability area forms a rotated square shape.

Human decision behavior is more complex than 1D safety margins.

Full 3D setting reveals richer perceptual decision patterns.

Abstract

In intuitive physics the process of stacking cubes has become a paradigmatic, canonical task. Even though it gets employed in various shades and complexities, the very fundamental setting with two cubes has not been thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, the majority of settings feature only a reduced, one dimensional (1D) decision space. In this paper an experiment is conducted in which participants judge the stability of two cubes stacked on top of each other. It is performed in the full 3D setting which features a 2D decision surface. The analysis yield a shape of a rotated square for the perceived stability area instead of the commonly reported safety margin in 1D. This implies a more complex decision behavior in human than previously assumed.