Perceiving aperture size by striking.
- 1 January 1991
- journal article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
- Vol. 17 (2) , 330-346
- https://doi.org/10.1037//0096-1523.17.2.330
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.Keywords
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