Directional Recalibration in Locomotion and Throwing

The Calibration of Walking Transfers to Crawling: Are Action Systems Calibrated?

“…Earlier studies (Bruggeman et al, 2001;Rieser et al, 1995) suggested that calibrations are functionally organized; that is, if an action is calibrated, other actions that serve the same goal are calibrated as well. This experiment further investigated this theory.…”

“…Thus, according to this hypothesis, any action performed with the same effector should also show the consequences of the calibration. This thesis can explain the transfer from the calibration of walking to side stepping (Rieser et al, 1995), from the calibration of underhand throwing to overhand throwing (Bruggeman et al, 2001), and might even explain the transfer of calibration from walking to crawling, because the legs also play an important role in the latter (e.g., see Adolph, Vereijken, & Denny, 1998). Two findings are, however, inconsistent with this thesis: The calibration of walking did not transfer to turning in place and vice versa (Rieser et al, 1995).…”

“…Recently, Bruggeman, Pick, and Rieser (2001) provided further evidence for this functional organization of calibration. They showed that when participants sitting on a turning carousel were asked to throw beanbags underhand to the opposite side of the carousel, the directional recalibration was seen not only with underhand throwing, but also with overhand throwing.…”

Transfer of Calibration Between Length and Sweet-Spot Perception by Dynamic Touch

“…Later, Withagen and Michaels (2002) showed that the calibration of walking without vision to a seen place generalized to crawling without vision to a seen place. And Bruggeman, Pick, and Rieser (2001) found that the directional calibration of underhand throwing generalized to the direction of overhand throwing but not to walking direction. These results suggest that calibration applies to the various distinguishable ways by which a motor outcome can be achieved, regardless of the limbs involved.…”

Transfer of calibration in length perception by dynamic touch

“…Withagen and Michaels (2002) provided further evidence in favor of the functional hypothesis by showing that the recalibration of walking to a seen place without vision generalized to crawling to a seen place without vision. And Bruggeman, Pick, and Rieser (2001) showed that when participants sitting on a turning carousel were asked to throw beanbags underhand to the opposite side of the carousel, the directional recalibration was seen not only with underhand throwing but also with overhand throwing. Walking direction, however, was not recalibrated.…”