Open AccessInfluence of experience of treadmill exercise on visual perception while on a treadmill
Author(s) -
YABE YOSHIKO,
TAGA GENTARO
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
japanese psychological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1468-5884
pISSN - 0021-5368
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2010.00425.x
Subject(s) - treadmill , perception , psychology , context (archaeology) , physical medicine and rehabilitation , physical therapy , medicine , neuroscience , paleontology , biology
A firm linkage exists between a motor command and its expected feedback. When we are exposed to a conflict between expected and actual feedback in a new context, we form a new linkage between action and perception, which may be further strengthened by prolonged experience. In this paper, we attempt to identify whether the linkage between treadmill locomotion and visual processing in relation to optic flow is strengthened in experienced users of treadmills. Yabe and Taga (2008) showed that ambiguous apparent motions are perceived to be moving downward more frequently when the stimuli are shown in front of the observers' feet on a treadmill when walking compared with when standing. Here, their experimental data was reanalyzed in relation to the experience of using the treadmill. The result revealed that habitual treadmill exercise reduced the difference in perceived direction of visual motion between the walking and standing conditions. It should be noted that the treadmill users showed perceptual “downward” bias for both the standing and walking conditions. The results suggest that treadmill users tend to activate the habitual linkage between treadmill locomotion and perception of optic ground flow even when they are just standing on a treadmill.