An older view on distance perception: Age affects perception of walkable extents

Mila Sugovic, Purdue University

Abstract

According to the action-specific perception account, spatial perception is affected by the specific energetic cost required to perform an action. Hills were judged as steeper to people who are wearing a heavy backpack, are fatigued, or are elderly (Bhalla & Proffitt, 1999). In the current experiments, we examined the effect of age on distance perception. Older and younger adults were asked to verbally estimate distance to a target placed in a hallway. Results showed that older adults estimated distances to be farther compared to younger adults, but only for action-relevant extents. Additionally, when subjects were asked to estimate distances on a carpet and a plastic surface, the types of floor surfaces that decrease walking ability, such as plastic tarps, were judged to be farther away for older adults while such sensitivity was not as apparent in younger adults. The results suggest that perception is still sensitive to differences that affect ability even as a perceiver ages.

Degree

M.S.

Advisors

Witt, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Aging|Cognitive psychology

COinS