Abstract
Research findings suggest that postural adjustments necessary to negotiate an aperture occur during the final few steps leading up to the opening ( Cinelli, Patla, & Allard, 2007) and are based on the individual's medial-lateral centre of mass relative to the centre of the aperture. While supporting the contention that body-scaled awareness is the link between action and perception (i.e., Warren, 1987), it is not clear how accurate body-scaled awareness is when perception is not immediately paired with action. The purpose of the present study was twofold, 1) to determine how accurate and quickly participants were able to judge passable apertures based on standard ratios of their shoulder widths, and 2) to examine the effect of various aperture widths on temporal and spatial parameters of gait. Twelve participants (7 F; 5 M) between the ages of 17 and 21 years were recruited from the undergraduate student population. Each participant's anthropometric measurements were recorded. Four aperture widths (-2, -1, +1, and +2 cms) based on the individual's shoulder width were calculated. Visual scanning behaviour was recorded via the ASL Eye-Trac 6, and reaction times (RT) were recorded via a programmable hand-held laser pointer. Temporal and spatial gait parameters were recorded 24-hours later using an instrumented walkway. Analysis of eye-scan and gait data revealed gender differences in scanning and gait behaviours based on the size of the aperture. Results will be discussed with respect to differences in action based on previous perceptions.
