Biomedical subjects

H J Meeuwsen

Publications and source records attributed to H J Meeuwsen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Changing affordances in stair climbing: the perception of maximum climbability in young and older adults.

This experiment extended Warren's leg-length model by investigating the relevance of leg strength and joint flexibility on perceptual judgments of climbability. From a set of 8 stairs (riser heights: 38-91 cm), 24 older and 24 young adults were asked to identify the highest stair they could climb without using their hands or knees. Ss then attempted to climb the selected stair. Tall and short young observers perceived similar action boundaries despite leg-length differences. Tall and short older adults had divergent action boundaries when a single-scale leg-length model was applied. A regression model that used flexibility and leg-strength measurements provided a better fit of the older adult data, indicating that models applying functional (kinematic and kinetic) criteria might be useful in describing lawful relationships between organisms and the environment.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Psychophysics of arm movements and human aging.

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible age-related differences in the physical stimulus-psychological response relationship. Young and older adult subjects moved their arm to three standard locations or extents (25 cm, 50 cm, and 75 cm) on a linear positioning device. Seven standard comparison combinations were presented 20 times each. Subjects were asked to determine whether the comparison was different from the standard. Just noticeable difference, constant error, absolute constant error, and Weber ratios were calculated. In contrast to previous studies, the results clearly indicate that the physical stimulus-psychological response magnitude relationship for location and extent movements is best described by a metathetic continuum. We offer an explanation to account for the differences between location and extent movements for the just noticeable difference and Weber ratio. The failure to find differences between the age groups suggests that age-related declines cannot be generalized to all perceptual systems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Age-related differences in the control of spatial aiming movements.

The experiment was designed to (a) examine age-related differences in the control of aiming movements, and (b) determine the locus of slowing in movement execution of older adults. Fitts's (1954) index of difficulty (ID) was used to manipulate movement execution demands, and kinematics were used to examine the response characteristics. Twelve young and 12 older adults performed simple aiming movements 10 cm or 20 cm in amplitude to targets of 0.5 cm, 1.0 cm, or 2.0 cm in width, resulting in IDs ranging from 3.32 to 6.32. The results for both young and older subjects support the prediction that movement time (MT) increases as a function of ID and that older adults are significantly slower and more affected by increases in ID than the young adults. Velocity and acceleration profiles of the older adults' movements displayed very different response characteristics than those of the young adults. The results suggest that older adults emphasize accuracy of response and are concerned with the latter phase of the movement in order to contact a target accurately.

Acceleration↗

PubMed1991

Age differences in visual sensory integration.

Numerous authors have reported that elderly persons are more affected than young adults when submitted to reduced or conflicting sensory inputs conditions. These results, however, do not permit to evaluate whether the elderly suffer from a reduced peripheral sensibility or from a deficit in the central integrative mechanisms responsible for configuring the postural set. The present experiment evaluated the ability of elderly to reconfigure the postural set when submitted to successive reduced and augmented visual sensory conditions. Results showed that young and elderly subjects' sway dispersion increased when they were exposed to a reduced visual sensory condition (i.e., vision/no-vision transition). However, when exposed to augmented sensory condition (i.e., no-vision/vision transitions) young adult were able to adapt rapidly and reduced their sway dispersion whereas the elderly exhibited an increased sway dispersion. This inability to adapt to an augmented sensory condition suggest that elderly persons, in addition to a reduced peripheral sensibility, have a deficit with central integrative mechanisms responsible for reconfiguring the postural set.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1991

Variables affecting perceptual boundaries in bipedal stair climbing.

The present study examined the effects of hip joint mobility and relative leg strength on perceived and attained action boundaries in bipedal stair climbing. If action boundaries are directly perceived and action is intimately linked to perception, one should be able to quantify these boundaries (Warren, 1984) and identify what variables affect these perceived boundaries. In the present experiment the perceived and attained absolute and relative (riser height divided by leg length) action boundaries were significantly affected by hip joint flexibility. Relative leg strength also affected absolute and relative perceived action boundaries. These results clearly show that factors in addition to body size and body proportions may affect the perception of affordances and their boundaries.

Adult↗