The unbearable lightness of perceiving: The effect of load on perceived distance L Jovanovic, O N Toskovic |
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Laboratory for Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Serbia
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| Researchers demonstrated that human perception of both distance and effort is anisotropic: people perceive distances and invested effort toward the zenith as greater than those observed in opposite direction. It is hypothesized that action that confronts gravity takes more effort than action in opposite direction, and that perceiving distances as larger is in the funcion of succsessful action (by overestimating distances at direction where action confronts gravity, we engage more effort and preform succsessful action). Since findings suggest that effort invested in action is related to distance perception, we investigated whether perception of distance can change with systematic change of effort. The sample consisted of 14 participants, and two weights (1kg and 2kg) were used in order to vary effort invested in action. The participants’ task was to equalize distances of the lamps (left and right, at three possible distances – 1m, 3m, 5m), when wearing different loads (none, 1kg or 2kg). However, results showed no effect of the load: estimations of the distance were the same regardless of the difference in invested effort. These results raised questions both about amount of effort relevant for the effect and its nature (shot or long term accommodation of the system). |
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