When what we need influences what we see G Taylor-Covill, F Eves |
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College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
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| Recent reports question the evidence for an ‘embodied’ perception of geographical slant. While Proffitt (2006, 2011) proposes that slant perception is malleable to fit with an individuals’ available energy resources, Durgin and colleagues (2010, 2012) argue evidence for this model can be put down to artifacts of experimental design. Schnall et al. (2010) previously showed that after consuming a sugary drink, explicit estimates of hill slant were reduced in line with increased energy resources, a finding also questioned by Durgin (2012). New approaches are required to resolve this debate. Here, two experiments used a ‘post-choice paradigm,’ which diminished the influence of experimental demands. Participants (n=414) unknowingly selected their own experimental grouping by choosing from a selection of fruit and drink items differing in energy content either before (exp. 1), or after (exp. 2), providing perceptual judgements of slant for a large staircase (6.45m, 23.7°). Results showed participants opting for items more likely to replenish their energy stores provided steeper slant estimates, indicating perception was scaled in line with energy needs. Effects of choice remained robust when controlling for demographics, and perceived climbing effort, suggestive of a process whereby implicit knowledge of available energy resources manifests in explicit perception of steepness. |
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