Citation

Barac-Cikoja D, Turvey MT. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 1991; 17(2): 330-346.

Affiliation

Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06268.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1830079

Abstract

This study examined the ability to perceive surface separation on the basis of mechanical stimulation resulting from striking the surfaces' interiors with a hand-held rod. The variables manipulated were aperture size, angular displacement theta, distance b of the point of contact with the surfaces from the axis of rotation, hand-rod mass m, location of the hand-rod's center of mass a, and moment of inertia Io of the hand-rod. Given a particular rod and an aperture at a given distance, lambda = sin(theta/2)1 - (2a/b) + (ma2/Io). was invariant over explorations. Perception of aperture size was specific to lambda; it predicted successfully the interdependent effects of theta, b, and the mechanical properties of the implement. The results of 7 experiments were discussed in terms of the specificity of perception to information and the general ability to perceive distant things by means of body appendages.

Language: en