Visual control of action in step descent

Cowie, Dorothy; Braddick, Oliver and Atkinson, Janette. 2008. Visual control of action in step descent. Experimental Brain Research, 186(2), pp. 343-348. ISSN 0014-4819 [Article]

[img]
Preview
Text
Cowie_2008_Visual_control_of_action.pdf

Download (276kB) | Preview

Abstract or Description

Visual guidance of forwards, sideways, and upwards stepping has been investigated, but there is little knowledge about the visuomotor processes underlying stepping down actions. In this study we investigated the visual control of a single vertical step. We measured which aspects of the stepping down movement scaled with visual information about step height, and how this visual control varied with binocular versus monocular vision. Subjects stepped down a single step of variable and unpredictable height. Several kinematic measures were extracted including a new measure, “kneedrop”. This describes a transition in the movement of the lower leg, which occurs at a point proportional to step height. In a within-subjects design, measurements were made with either full vision, monocular vision, or no vision. Subjects scaled kneedrop relative to step height with vision, but this scaling was significantly impaired in monocular and no vision conditions. The study establishes a kinematic marker of visually controlled scaling in single-step locomotion which will allow further study of the visuomotor control processes involved in stepping down.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1320-1

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology > InfantLab

Dates:

DateEvent
2008Published

Item ID:

5072

Date Deposited:

03 Mar 2011 15:05

Last Modified:

29 Apr 2020 15:32

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/5072

View statistics for this item...

Edit Record Edit Record (login required)