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Testing the role of expansion in the prospective control of locomotion

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Abstract

The constant bearing angle (CBA) strategy is a prospective strategy that permits the interception of moving objects. The purpose of the present study is to test this strategy. Participants were asked to walk through a virtual environment and to change, if necessary, their walking speed so as to intercept approaching targets. The targets followed either a rectilinear or a curvilinear trajectory and target size was manipulated both within trials (target size was gradually changed during the trial in order to bias expansion) and between trials (targets of different sizes were used). The curvature manipulation had a large effect on the kinematics of walking, which is in agreement with the CBA strategy. The target size manipulations also affected the kinematics of walking. Although these effects of target size are not predicted by the CBA strategy, quantitative comparisons of observed kinematics and the kinematics predicted by the CBA strategy showed good fits. Furthermore, predictions based on the CBA strategy were deemed superior to predictions based on a required velocity (V REQ) model. The role of target size and expansion in the prospective control of walking is discussed.

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Notes

  1. One could also use the front or back edge of the target to compute the bearing angle. However, the alternative ways to compute the bearing angle would lead to similar results.

  2. Partial η2 have the advantage of being independent of the other effects involved and is considered as an alternative computation of the absolute eta square (Tabachnick and Fidell 1989). However, please note that partial η2 values are not additive.

  3. The nine time-intervals correspond to the first 4.5 seconds of each trial. The tenth time-interval of the 5-second trials was excluded because it showed large and apparently uninteresting variation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Institut des Sciences du Mouvement, Etienne-Jules MAREY, UMR 6233 Université de la Méditerranée and CNRS, 163 Avenue de Luminy, 13009, Marseille, France

    Julien Bastin, David M. Jacobs, Antoine H. P. Morice, Cathy Craig & Gilles Montagne

  2. UFR STAPS Grenoble Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France

    Julien Bastin

  3. Facultad de Psicologia, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    David M. Jacobs

  4. School of Psychology, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK

    Cathy Craig

Authors
  1. Julien Bastin
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  2. David M. Jacobs
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  3. Antoine H. P. Morice
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  4. Cathy Craig
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  5. Gilles Montagne
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Correspondence to Gilles Montagne.

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Bastin, J., Jacobs, D.M., Morice, A.H.P. et al. Testing the role of expansion in the prospective control of locomotion. Exp Brain Res 191, 301–312 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1522-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-008-1522-6

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