Abstract
Humans are excellent at perceiving different features of the actions performed by others. For instance, by viewing someone else manipulating an unknown object, one can infer its weight-an intrinsic feature otherwise not directly accessible through vision. How such perceptual skill develops during childhood remains unclear. To confront this gap, the current study had children (N:63, 6-10 years old) and adults (N:21) judge the weight of objects after observing videos of an actor lifting them. Although 6-year-olds could already discriminate different weights, judgment accuracy had not reached adult-like levels by 10 years of age. Additionally, children's stature was a more reliable predictor of their ability to read others' actions than was their chronological age. This paper discusses the results in light of a potential link between motor development and action perception.