title: Perceiving aperture size by striking.
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.
authors.affiliation: Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06268.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barac-Cikoja
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Turvey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004215:Distance Perception; D006801:Humans; D009949:Orientation; D011434:Proprioception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011601:Psychophysics; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D012858:Size Perception