scholarly journals Using a smartphone on the move: do visual constraints explain why we slow walking speed?

Author(s):  
Alejandro Rubio Barañano ◽  
Muhammad Faisal ◽  
Brendan T. Barrett ◽  
John G. Buckley

AbstractViewing one’s smartphone whilst walking commonly leads to a slowing of walking. Slowing walking speed may occur because of the visual constraints related to reading the hand-held phone whilst in motion. We determine how walking-induced phone motion affects the ability to read on-screen information. Phone-reading performance (PRP) was assessed whilst participants walked on a treadmill at various speeds (Slow, Customary, Fast). The fastest speed was repeated, wearing an elbow brace (Braced) or with the phone mounted stationary (Fixed). An audible cue (‘text-alert’) indicated participants had 2 s to lift/view the phone and read aloud a series of digits. PRP was the number of digits read correctly. Each condition was repeated 5 times. 3D-motion analyses determined phone motion relative to the head, from which the variability in acceleration in viewing distance, and in the point of gaze in space in the up-down and right-left directions were assessed. A main effect of condition indicated PRP decreased with walking speed; particularly so for the Braced and Fixed conditions (p = 0.022). Walking condition also affected the phone’s relative motion (p < 0.001); post-hoc analysis indicated that acceleration variability for the Fast, Fixed and Braced conditions were increased compared to that for Slow and Customary speed walking (p ≤ 0.05). There was an inverse association between phone acceleration variability and PRP (p = 0.02). These findings may explain why walking speed slows when viewing a hand-held phone: at slower speeds, head motion is smoother/more regular, enabling the motion of the phone to be coupled with head motion, thus making fewer demands on the oculomotor system. Good coupling ensures that the retinal image is stable enough to allow legibility of the information presented on the screen.

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Franek ◽  
Lukáš Režný ◽  
Jiří Cabal

Background. Exposure to noise in everyday urban life is considered to be an environmental stressor. A specific outcome of the reaction from environmental stress is a fast pace of life that also includes a faster pedestrian walking speed. There is a limited amount of experimental evidence that people tend to walk faster in an environment with dense traffic and traffic noise. On the other hand, listening to nature relaxation sounds may decrease actual walking speed. The present study examined an effect of listening to annoying acoustical stimuli (traffic noise) compared to relaxation sounds (forest birdsong) on walking speed in a real outdoor urban environment. Methods. The participants (N=83) walked along an urban route of 1.8 km. The first part of the route was a street with driving cars, the second part was a dense oak alley that led out of the noisy street with traffic. There were three conditions in the experiment. The participants listened either to traffic noise or to forest birdsong; they walked without listening to any acoustical stimuli in the control condition. Their walking speed was measured for certain parts of the route. After completing their walk, participants were asked to describe their experience during the walk. Results. A mixed ANOVA indicated a significant between-subjects main effect of the condition (F 2,160 = 14.80, p <.001, η2 = 0.16), significant within-subjects main effect of the section walked (F 2,320 = 103.28, p <.001, η2 = 0.39), and significant interaction between the section walked and direction of the walk (F 2,320 = 11.76, p <.001, η2 = 0.09). A post hoc test showed that participants listening to traffic noise walked significantly faster on the route than participants listening to forest birdsong sounds and participants in the control condition. Participants who listened to forest birdsong walked slightly faster than those under control condition; however, this difference was not significant. Analysis of the walk experience showed that participants who listened to forest birdsong during the walk liked the route more than those who listened to traffic sounds. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that exposure to traffic noise led to an immediate increase in walking speed. It was also shown that exposure to noise may influence perception of an environment. The same environment may be more liked in the absence of noise or in the presence of relaxation sounds. The study also documented the positive effect of listening to various kinds of relaxation sounds while walking in an outdoor environment with traffic noise.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Franek ◽  
Lukáš Režný ◽  
Jiří Cabal

Background. Exposure to noise in everyday urban life is considered to be an environmental stressor. A specific outcome of the reaction from environmental stress is a fast pace of life that also includes a faster pedestrian walking speed. There is a limited amount of experimental evidence that people tend to walk faster in an environment with dense traffic and traffic noise. On the other hand, listening to nature relaxation sounds may decrease actual walking speed. The present study examined an effect of listening to annoying acoustical stimuli (traffic noise) compared to relaxation sounds (forest birdsong) on walking speed in a real outdoor urban environment. Methods. The participants (N=83) walked along an urban route of 1.8 km. The first part of the route was a street with driving cars, the second part was a dense oak alley that led out of the noisy street with traffic. There were three conditions in the experiment. The participants listened either to traffic noise or to forest birdsong; they walked without listening to any acoustical stimuli in the control condition. Their walking speed was measured for certain parts of the route. After completing their walk, participants were asked to describe their experience during the walk. Results. A mixed ANOVA indicated a significant between-subjects main effect of the condition (F 2,160 = 14.80, p <.001, η2 = 0.16), significant within-subjects main effect of the section walked (F 2,320 = 103.28, p <.001, η2 = 0.39), and significant interaction between the section walked and direction of the walk (F 2,320 = 11.76, p <.001, η2 = 0.09). A post hoc test showed that participants listening to traffic noise walked significantly faster on the route than participants listening to forest birdsong sounds and participants in the control condition. Participants who listened to forest birdsong walked slightly faster than those under control condition; however, this difference was not significant. Analysis of the walk experience showed that participants who listened to forest birdsong during the walk liked the route more than those who listened to traffic sounds. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that exposure to traffic noise led to an immediate increase in walking speed. It was also shown that exposure to noise may influence perception of an environment. The same environment may be more liked in the absence of noise or in the presence of relaxation sounds. The study also documented the positive effect of listening to various kinds of relaxation sounds while walking in an outdoor environment with traffic noise.


2005 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 488-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neala Ambrosi-Randić ◽  
Alessandra Pokrajac-Bulian ◽  
Vladimir Takšić

320 Croatian female students ( M = 20.4 yr.) were recruited to examine the validity and reliability of figural scales using different numbers of stimuli (3, 5, 7, and 9) and different serial presentation (serial and nonserial order). A two-way analysis of variance (4 numbers × 2 orders of stimuli) was performed on ratings of current self-size and ideal size as dependent variables. Analysis indicated a significant main effect of number of stimuli. This, together with post hoc tests indicated that ratings were significantly different for a scale of three figures from scales of more figures, which in turn did not differ among themselves. Main effects of order of stimuli, as well as the interaction, were not significant. The results support the hypothesis that the optimal number of figures on a scale is seven plus (or minus) two.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer Bell ◽  
Brett Froeliger

Nicotine addiction is associated with dysregulated inhibitory control (IC), mediated by corticothalamic circuitry including the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). Among sated smokers, worse IC task performance and greater IC-related rIFG activity have been shown to be associated with greater relapse vulnerability. The present study investigated the effects of smoking abstinence on associations between IC task performance, rIFG activation, and smoking behavior. Smokers (N = 26, 15 female) completed an IC task (Go/Go/No-go) during fMRI scanning followed by a laboratory-based smoking relapse analog task (SRT) on two visits: once when sated and once following 24 h of smoking abstinence. During the SRT, smokers were provided with monetary rewards for incrementally delaying smoking. A significant main effect of No-go accuracy on latency to smoke during the SRT was observed when collapsing across smoking states (abstinent vs. sated). Similarly, a significant main effect of IC-related activation in rIFG on SRT performance was observed across states. The main effect of state, however, was non-significant in both of these models. Furthermore, the interaction between smoking state and No-go accuracy on SRT performance was non-significant, indicating a similar relationship between IC and lapse vulnerability under both sated and abstinent conditions. The state X rIFG activation interaction on SRT performance was likewise non-significant. Post-hoc whole brain analyses indicated that abstinence resulted in greater IC-related activity in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and insula. Activation during IC in these regions was significantly associated with decreased No-go accuracy. Moreover, greater abstinence induced activity in right MFG during IC was associated with smoking sooner on the SRT. These findings are bolstered by the extant literature on the effects of nicotine on executive function and also contribute novel insights on how individual differences in behavioral and neuroimaging measures of IC may influence relapse propensity independent of smoking state.


Psihologija ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatjana Mentus ◽  
Slobodan Markovic

The effects of both symmetry (perceptual factor) and familiarity (cognitive factor) on facial attractiveness were investigated. From the photographs of original slightly asymmetric faces, symmetric left-left (LL) and right-right (RR) versions were generated. Familiarity was induced in the learning block using the repetitive presentation of original faces. In the test block participants rated the attractiveness of original, previously seen (familiar) faces, original, not previously seen faces, and both LL and RR versions of all faces. The analysis of variance showed main effects of symmetry. Post hoc tests revealed that asymmetric original faces were rated as more attractive than both LL and RR symmetric versions. Familiarity doesn?t have a significant main effect, but the symmetry-familiarity interaction was obtained. Additional post hoc tests indicated that facial attractiveness is positively associated with natural slight asymmetry rather than with perfect symmetry. Also, unfamiliar LL symmetric versions were rated as more attractive than familiar LL versions, whereas familiar RR versions were rated as more attractive than RR unfamiliar faces. These results suggested that symmetry (perceptual factor) and familiarity (cognitive or memorial factor) play differential roles in facial attractiveness, and indicate a relatively stronger effect of the perceptual compared to the cognitive factor. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON179018 i br. ON179033] <br><br><font color="red"><b> This article has been corrected. Link to the correction <u><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/PSI1701101E">10.2298/PSI1701101E</a><u></b></font>


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-72
Author(s):  
Danielle N Jarvis ◽  
Kornelia Kulig

OBJECTIVES: Dancers frequently perform complex jumping skills that involve achieving specific body positions while in the air. An examination of how skilled dancers achieve these aesthetic demands can provide information useful for dance training. The purpose of this study was to examine the temporal coordination of the hip and knee joints during the flight phase of a saut de chat leap, where dancers aim to achieve a split position in the air when the center of mass (COM) reaches peak height. METHODS: Thirty healthy, experienced dancers with 22.5±4.5 years of dance training performed 5 saut de chat leaps. The timing of peak hip and knee joint angles and velocities for the takeoff and leading legs were extracted and compared to the time when COM reached peak height in the leap using a repeated measures ANOVA, with post-hoc comparisons made using paired t-tests. RESULTS: Dancers demonstrated significant differences in timing associated with achieving the split position (main effect p<0.001), with only peak leading leg hip flexion occurring at a similar time to the COM reaching peak height (paired t-test p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide insight into coordination patterns used by trained dancers. Trained dancers demonstrate patterns in timing that may be important for successful performance. The hip and knee coordination patterns during flight demonstrate how dancers work to achieve the desired aesthetics of a saut de chat leap. However, it appears that dancers do not reach the full split position at the height of the leap, as would be aesthetically desirable.


1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Hale

A study was conducted to assess the capabilities and limitations of the DataGlove, a lightweight glove input device that can output signals in real time based on hand shape, orientation, and movement. The DataGlove was used as an input device to control the Proto-Flight Manipulator Arm (PFMA), a large telerobotic arm with an 8-foot reach. Twelve volunteers (six males and six females) participated in a 2×3(×2) full-factorial experiment in a simple retraction, slewing, and insertion task. Two within-subjects variables, time delay (0,1, and 2 seconds) and PFMA wrist flexibility (rigid/flexible) were manipulated. Gender served as a blocking variable. Retraction, insertion, and slew times, as well as total task time were collected as the dependent variables. An analysis of variance found a main effect of time delay for slewing and total task times. A post hoc Newman-Keuls pairwise comparison of the means was performed for the significant effects. Slew times with no time delay were significantly faster than slew times with either 1- or 2-second time delays. Total task time with no time delay was significantly faster than total task time with a 2-second time delay. PFMA wrist flexibility had no significant main effect on the ability of the subject to accurately and effectively operate the PFMA with the DataGlove. It was concluded that the DataGlove is a legitimate teleoperations input device that provides a natural, intuitive user interface and should be considered in future trades in teleoperation systems' designs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Bonnini ◽  
Gianni Mazzoni ◽  
Michela Borghesi ◽  
Giorgio Chiaranda ◽  
Jonathan Myers ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To assess the association between walking speed (WS) and its improvement on hospitalization rates and costs in outpatients with cardiovascular disease. Methods Six hundred forty-nine patients participating in an exercise-based secondary prevention program were studied. Patients were divided at baseline into two groups characterized by low and high WS based on the average WS maintained during a moderate 1-km treadmill-walking test. WS and other covariates were grouped into three domains (demographic factors, medical history and risk factors), and used to estimate a propensity score, in order to create homogeneous groups of patients. All-cause hospitalization was assessed 3 years after baseline as a function of WS. Hospitalization and related costs were also assessed during the fourth-to-sixth years after enrollment. To test whether the hospitalization costs were related to changes in WS after 36 months, a multistrata permutation test was performed by combining within strata partial tests. Results The results support the hypothesis that hospitalization costs are significantly reduced in accordance with an improvement in WS. This effect is most evident among older patients, overweight or obese, smokers, and those without a history of coronary artery bypass surgery. Conclusions The present study supports growing evidence of an inverse association between WS, risk of hospitalization and consequent health-care costs. The joint use of propensity score and multistrata permutation approaches represent a flexible and robust testing method which avoids the possible effects of several confounding factors typical of these studies.


1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Gailey ◽  
D. Lawrence ◽  
C. Burditt ◽  
P. Spyropoulos ◽  
C. Newell ◽  
...  

Twenty unilateral trans-femoral amputees fitted with either the Contoured Adducted Trochanteric-Controlled Alignment Method (CAT-CAM) socket (n=10) or the quadrilateral (QUAD) socket (n=10), and a “non-amputee” control group (n=10) participated in the study. Subjects meeting the following criteria were studied: healthy males between the ages of 18 and 55 years, amputation due to non-vascular pathology, an unaffected sound limb, at least six months use of the test prosthesis, and a minimal stump length of 15 cm. Subjects ambulated in two randomized trials separated by 20 minutes of rest at 2 assigned speeds: a pace reflecting normal walking speed (97 m/min=2.5 mph) or a slower speed (48.5 m/min=1.25 mph). Heart rate (HR) and Oxygen uptake (VO2) measured during steady state walking were analyzed via two-way ANOVA. Differences among means were further analyzed using Tukey post hoc and simple effects tests. Significant differences were observed between the control group and CAT-CAM subjects with respect to VO2 (p < 0.05) and HR (p < 0.01) at the slower speed. The control group and subjects using the QUAD socket also differed with respect to VO2 (p < 0.01) and HR (p < 0.01) at the slower pace. Faster pace required more energy expenditure (p < 0.01) and produced higher HR (p < 0.01) than slower speeds. At faster pace, a significantly higher energy expenditure in the QUAD than the CAT-CAM group was observed (p<0.01). It is concluded that ambulating at normal pace using the CAT-CAM socket design uses less energy than when using a QUAD socket design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4619
Author(s):  
Djihed Berkouk ◽  
Tallal Abdel Karim Bouzir ◽  
Luigi Maffei ◽  
Massimiliano Masullo

The feeling of calm and tranquillity provided by the oases of Algeria can disappear because of the outdated urbanization strategy which is based on the vehicle as a mode of transport. Walkability is one of the most adoptable sustainable strategies to reduce the negative mechanical transportation effects on the quality of life. This paper aimed to examine the correlation and the causation between oases soundscape components and walking speed. The methodology of this field study was based on an empirical approach at the urban settlements in three oases in Algeria. The correlation between walking speed and soundscape components was obtained through the use of the Spearman correlation test. A one-way ANOVA analysis was conducted to assess the effect of the soundscape components on walking speed. A post hoc Tukey test was adopted to explore the sound component that causes increased walking speed. In this study, no significant correlation was explored between the walking speed and the anthrophonical sounds. In contrast, the statistical analysis of the sound walks experience suggests a moderate and significant negative correlation between geophonical and biophonical sounds, with mean walking speed. The results showed that, the cause of the increase in the mean walking speed of the pedestrians is human sound. The findings suggest that further research is needed to focus on the long-term subjective investigation to explore the correlations and the effects between soundscape, walkability and walking speed.


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